Team France has emerged victorious in the 2025 Race of Champions Nations Cup overnight in Sydney, defeating Team Australia Supercars in a thrilling final, while Team New Zealand delivered a commendable performance, reaching the quarterfinals.
The French team’s dominance was evident from the start, highlighted by their complete sweep of Group A. Sebastien Loeb and Victor Martins secured four consecutive wins, setting the stage for their ultimate triumph.
Team Australia Supercars mirrored this success in Group B, with Will Brown and Brodie Kostecki winning all of their races.
Team New Zealand, however, faced a tougher start. Hayden Paddon’s encounter with the wall while up against Brown marked an early setback, while Kostecki defeated Louis Sharp. Paddon then secured Team NZ’s only Group B victory, edging Molly Taylor by 0.271 seconds. A nail-biting photo finish saw Toby Price defeat Sharp by a mere 0.02 seconds, a testament to the fierce competition. Despite their 1-3 record, faster overall times propelled Team New Zealand into the semifinals.
Group C saw strong showings from Germany and the USA, with Germany (Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher) claiming the group win. This set up the quarterfinals: Norway (the reigning champions) versus the All-Stars; France versus New Zealand; Australia Supercars versus the USA; and Germany against Australia Off-Road (who went through as Top third placed team).
An upset saw the All-Stars (Johan Kristoffersson and Chaz Mostert) eliminate reigning Champions Norway. The France-New Zealand matchup proved to be a heart-stopper. Loeb comfortably defeated Paddon in the Subarus in the first heat. The Sharp-Martins battle in the FC2 cars was initially close, but a late incident, where Martins made heavy contact with the wall, caused a penalty, handing Sharp the win against the F3 Champion. The subsequent tiebreaker, featuring Sharp against Loeb in the Toyotas, showcased Sharp’s skill and determination. He pushed Loeb to the very limit, but Loeb ultimately prevailed, ending New Zealand’s remarkable run in the quarterfinals.
Australia Supercars and Germany also secured their semifinal spots with dominant quarterfinal performances. The semifinals were equally tense. Martins’s win over Mostert and Kristoffersson’s surprising victory over Loeb forced a tiebreaker in the first group, which Martins won to advance France. Kostecki’s tiebreaker win over Vettel also sent Australia Supercars to the final.
The final between France and Australia Supercars was a clash of titans. Brown’s masterful drive defeated Loeb in the Polaris, igniting the home crowd. Martins then secured victory against Kostecki, setting up a decisive final race. The final would be Brown versus Martins in the Supercar Lites, Martins seized an early lead, but Brown mounted a furious comeback in the latter half of the lap. However, Martins held on, securing a narrow but decisive victory and France’s first Nations Cup title since 2004.
The excitement continues tonight with the Race of Champions “Champion of Champions,” starting at 9:30 pm NZT. Coverage will be live on SkySport 5.
Header Image: Race of Champions
