Double DTM titleholder Mattias Ekstrom has won his third Race of Champions crown at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium today, beating out seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher in the final.
He had previously bettered reigning F1 champion Jenson Button in the semi-finals after coming out ahead of eight-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen in the quarter finals.
The Swedish driver took a very close victory on Schumacher during the first round at the wheel of a 170-horsepower buggy, but his win on the second round was only slightly more decisive at the controls of a 240-horsepower KTM buggy when he completed the course a half-second ahead.
Ekstrom had taken victory at the 2006 and 2007 editions of the Race of Champions, and now adds the 2009 honours to his list while Schumacher once again sees the elusive ROC title slip away.
“It’s amazing,” Ekstrom gushed. “I didn’t win it last year so to beat Michael Schumacher in the final now is extremely nice.”
Retired World Rally Champion Didier Auriol holds the Race of Champions record with four titles to his name (1993, 1994, 1996 and 1999). The only Formula One driver to have come out on top is Heikki Kovalainen, who won the ‘Champion of Champions’ crown in 2004.
Daniel BASTIEN
© CAPSIS International
via F1-Live
