-Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel triumph for third consecutive year in The Race of Champions nation vs nation contest
-New F1 World Champion, Jenson Button, and World Touring Car ace, Andy Priaulx, reach final but just beaten in tie break race
-Host nation, China, reach semi-finals before falling to Team Germany
Seven time F1 World Champion, Michael Schumacher, and his Team Germany team-mate, Sebastian Vettel, claimed their third consecutive ROC Nations Cup title today. The pair beat the Autosport Team GB pairing of new F1 World Champion, Jenson Button, and three time World Touring Car Champion, Andy Priaulx, in a tie break race in the final to become the first winners of three Nations Cup crowns.
The German drivers had defeated teams from host nation, China, and Finland to reach the semi-finals. There, they met a fired up American team comprising Tanner Foust and Travis Pastrana but, despite an heroic effort by Foust to beat Schumacher, Vettel’s two wins took Team Germany to the final once again.
Crowd favourite Schumacher beat Button in the first heat of the final, but Vettel, the youngest ever F1 race-winner, was beaten by Priaulx in the second heat. In the tie break decider, Schumacher was not to be beaten in the unique ROC Car. “We had a nice fight – I just come back to this event to use whatever there is left of a talent,” said Schumacher. “With this track, it’s just a case of watching where the other guy is to know how hard to push. Of course, the racing is the highlight but the other stuff that goes on around that is part of the relaxed atmosphere of the Race of Champions that we all enjoy.”