Ekström Beats Schumacher to Win 2024 Race of Champions Title

In brief

Ekström defeats Schumacher to be crowned champion of champions

The Race of Champions concluded on the snow and ice of Pite Havsbad in Sweden with a final between two-time DTM champion Mattias Ekström and Mercedes’ new Formula 1 reserve driver Mick Schumacher.

The grand final was contested over two heats, both won by Ekström. This victory marked the fourth time Ekström has claimed the ROC Champion of Champions title. Two of his previous wins came in finals against Schumacher’s father, Michael.

“We had many battles and I have only great memories with Michael from this event,” Ekström said. “I’m super proud because Mick also rode with me on Friday in the Dakar car and we had a nice time. Michael was always humble with me and I can see Mick is also very humble. Mick is such a huge talent and his time is ahead of him, so I look forward to more battles in the future.”

Schumacher eliminated four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel in the semi-finals and progressed past Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich in the quarter-finals on countback by fastest time. Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and W Series champion Jamie Chadwick were knocked out earlier in the competition.

IndyCar stars begin year on a high in Daytona 24 hours

Meyer Shank Racing’s IndyCar drivers Hélio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud opened their season with a victory at the Daytona 24 Hours in the top GTP class.

Driving an Acura ARX-06 entered by Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian, and joined by former Formula E racer Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun, the team won by a margin of 4.19 seconds.

Finishing 5.44 seconds further back were Sebastien Bourdais and Scott Dixon, sharing a Cadillac hypercar. Colton Herta, who moved from Andretti Autosport to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing to drive a BMW hypercar, completed the race in sixth overall, 15 laps down. Several other IndyCar drivers competed in lower classes throughout the event.

Team Penske pairing Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden, nicknamed the “bus bros,” finished fifth in LMP2, ahead of Andretti’s Devlin DeFrancesco and Haas F1 reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi. Romain Grosjean recorded a strong debut as a factory Lamborghini driver by finishing fourth in GTD Pro, while new Andretti teammate Kyle Kirkwood placed fifth in the GTD class.

Links

Motor racing links of interest:

Salem’s Sai Sanjay clinches MRF F2000 crown (Madras Motorsports Club)

At the Madras International Circuit the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship concluded with Sai Sanjay securing the MRF Formula 2000 title. While Sanjay’s points haul sealed the championship over the weekend, Bengaluru’s Sohil Shah won both races on the final day.

Sauber’s new junior one of many talking points at WSK Champions Cup (Formula Scout)

Sauber added a new junior driver to its development programme and karting team at the WSK Champions Cup. Joining F2 star Theo Pourchaire and GB3 race-winner Roberto Faria in the academy is German karting prospect Taym Saleh, heading into his third season of junior karting.

Penrose beats the drama to take Dan Higgins Trophy (Toyota Gazoo Racing NZ)

James Penrose converted a strong drive into a feature race win in the Dan Higgins Trophy at Manfeild after leaders came together. The 27-lap race looked set to favour championship leader Charlie Wurz until an incident involving Louis Foster altered the outcome.

Mazepin named in 99 Racing Team Oreca for Asian Le Mans Series (DailySportscar)

99 Racing’s #98 Oreca 07 entry for the Asian Le Mans Series was confirmed with a three-driver line-up including 2021 ALMS runner-up Ben Barnicoat and ex-GP2 and WTCC racer Félix Porteiro. The entry also contains the controversial addition of former Haas F1 driver Nikita Mazepin.

Johnson, Rockenfeller and Button to drive NASCAR Garage 56 entry at Le Mans (Racer)

An eclectic line-up will pilot the Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 as the Garage 56 entry at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, featuring seven-time NASCAR champion and IndyCar driver Jimmie Johnson, 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button, and sports car veteran and 2010 Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller.

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Social media

Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:

Congratulations to @mattiasekstroem on the win. P2 for me in the end at @raceofchampions. What a fun weekend, enjoyed every little bit of it. Thank you to everyone who showed up and watched us race out here in the cold! See you soon #raceofchampions pic.twitter.com/SgGAWB0mJ6

— Mick Schumacher (@SchumacherMick) January 29, 2023

Feels good to be back 👍🏼#TeamZHOU pic.twitter.com/rfnDzWktAG

— 周冠宇 | Zhou Guanyu 🇨🇳 (@ZhouGuanyu24) January 29, 2023

BACK TO BACK!! ROLEX 24 CHAMPIONS!! WE DID IT!!

Rolex Champions deux fois de suite ! On l’a fait ! On a défendu notre titre ! pic.twitter.com/v9z6gWwooa

— Simon Pagenaud (@simonpagenaud) January 29, 2023

Made it through the late night stints. 6 laps off our class lead lap. We’re still fighting. 7.5 hours to go! 🤘#BusBros24 | #Rolex24atDaytona | #Rolex24 | #IMSA

📷: @emotiveimage | @DREAMDigitalSvc pic.twitter.com/T2NmFHX7vw

— Josef Newgarden (@josefnewgarden) January 29, 2023

Very honoured to receive the inaugural Murray Walker Award from Motorsport UK last night. It’s nearly two years since we lost the national treasure. I hope he’s shouting ‘and it’s go,go,go’ from somewhere on high. https://t.co/8DLroo7HfV

— Martin Brundle (@MBrundleF1) January 29, 2023

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• Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory

Comment of the day

The measurable commercial value of F1, and what those with the commercial rights choose to do with the championship, remains one of the most discussed topics of the off-season. While the FIA technically owns Formula 1, the commercial rights are leased to Liberty Media, giving them substantial influence. That dynamic fuels debate over control and direction as the FIA and Formula One Management navigate differing priorities.

The FIA is a rulebook and a handful of employees to enforce those rules. This entire structure exists only because Bernie [Ecclestone, F1’s former owner] and the teams could have walked away and created their own thing and killed the FIA’s precious Formula One dead in the 70s.

Once the next Concorde agreement is due, this could still happen. Yes FIA own the F1 trademark and are allowed to run the enforcement of the rule book. And they’re allowed it by the virtue of FOM and the participants of the sport. Ben is the first leader of the FIA since Jean-Marie Balestre who thinks he can bully the FOM and its teams into submission. Didn’t end that well for Balestre. The value isn’t in the rulebook and the F1 trademark, it’s entirely in the FOM’s side of the business.
SjaakFoo

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Sridhar Gopalkrishnan!

On this day in motorsport

• Born on this day in 1917: Paul Frère, who later won the 1960 Le Mans 24 Hours and finished second in his final Grand Prix appearance at Spa in 1956. He died in 2008.