French driver Sebastian Leb defeated German rival Sebastian Vettel to win the Race of Champions individual title on the snow and ice of Pitea, Sweden. The victory marked the event's first visit to Sweden and capped a remarkable month of achievements for the French competitor.
Within a single month, Leb finished second in the Dakar Rally, won the WRC Monte Carlo Rally driving the Ford Puma Rally1, and became the sport's oldest winner with his 80th career triumph. His fourth career Race of Champions victory allows him to share the all-time record of four titles with compatriot and former WRC champion Didier Oriol.
Race of Champions Finals
To reach the final, Leb defeated his Dakar rival Matthias Extrom, who raced with Audi in Saudi Arabia, in the semifinals. Vettel earned his spot in the final by overcoming Le Mans legend Tom Christensen in his own semifinal clash.
The final between the two drivers was judged by the first to achieve three wins. In their first encounter using the Polaris RZR buggy, Leb took advantage of minor contact Vettel made with the first turn wall to secure the opening win. Leb extended his lead to 2 to 0 in the second race after overtaking an initial small lead held by the German driver.
Vettel narrowed the gap to 2 to 1 in the third match, driving the RX2e electric cross car, after Leb committed an error on track. In the fourth and deciding race back in the Polaris buggies, the nine-time WRC World Champion sealed his victory by a margin of eight tenths of a second.
National Team Title
A total of 18 top drivers in world motorsport competed at this year's event. In the national team competition, 2003 WRC champion Peter Solberg teamed up with his son, Hyundai factory driver Oliver Solberg, to capture the title for Norway.
The Norwegian duo faced an unexpected final opponent in the American team, which featured NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson and IndyCar driver Colton Herta. Both American drivers entered the contest with limited ice racing experience, though Johnson previously won the individual Race of Champions in 2002 and Herta holds the title of youngest 24-hour winner of the Daytona LMP2.
In the first team match with the Polaris Pro XP, Peter Solberg won ahead of Johnson, who suffered minor mechanical issues, while Oliver defeated Herta. During the second battle in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, Johnson defeated Oliver Solberg, but a late mistake by Herta handed the overall victory and national title to father Solberg and Norway.
After the final, Peter Solberg said, "It was a very big dream that Oliver and I realized," adding that his driving was inspired by Leb's victory at the Monte Carlo Rally ten days earlier. Norway reached the final by defeating host nation Sweden in the quarterfinals and the Scandinavian team in the semifinals, while the American team defeated Germany and Finland.
Lewis Hamilton F1 Return
Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton confirmed his return to motorsport following a social media absence that began after the 12th Abu Dhabi GP. The 37-year-old seven-time world champion broke his silence with a photo taken at the US Grand Canyon captioned "I'm back," before confirming in comments that he visited New York.
Hamilton subsequently posted an image taken at dawn in London showing him training, accompanied by the caption "got a job back at Angela Cullen" in reference to his trainer. The post confirms he will remain in Formula 1 this year, ending six weeks of speculation regarding a potential retirement following the outcome of the 2021 championship.
Hamilton remains under a two-year contract with Mercedes running through the end of 2023. Indications show he will attend the presentation of the new Mercedes W13 car on February 18, followed by winter development testing in Barcelona from February 23 to 25.
Aristotle Racing Team
In student motorsport, the Aristotle Racing Team (ART) continues preparations for the upcoming international racing season. Founded in 2006 by nine students at the Polytechnic School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), the team has expanded to 35 members across various university faculties.
Operating under the slogan "Racing is ART," the student group relies on sponsors to design, engineer, and build functional Formula-style race cars. ART is currently refining its seventh car to compete against 614 university teams worldwide, following recent successes including second place in the Business Plan race and fourth place in the Skid Pad event in Hungary and the Czech Republic.
The team competes in the international Formula Student competition organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The annual racing calendar begins in mid-May with the oldest event in Michigan, USA, while European competitions launch at the Silverstone circuit in Northampton, England. Fans can follow the team's work online at aristotleracing.gr.
Lancia Stratos Rally History
The iconic Lancia Stratos HF remains one of the most legendary purpose-built rally vehicles in motorsport history. Conceived by Lancia race director Cesare Fiorio to replace the successful Fulvia 1.6 HF, the rear-wheel-drive vehicle was designed entirely for competition rather than modified from a production car.
Nuccio Bertone introduced the initial Stratos Zero prototype at the 1970 Turin Motor Show, followed by the presentation of Marcello Gandini's Lancia Stratos HF design at the 1971 Turin fair. The car featured lightweight front and rear engine covers for quick mechanical repairs, along with a minimal cabin designed for two occupants and their helmets.
Regarding the tight cockpit design, Nuccio Bertone said, "The interior brings driver and passenger together and makes them appear as one." After evaluating the Lancia Flavia boxer engine and a Fiat 130 V6, Fiorio selected the Ferrari Dino 246 GT V6 engine for its performance and reliability after persuading Enzo Ferrari to supply the units.
To meet FIA Group 4 homologation rules requiring 500 production units, Lancia produced road versions featuring a transverse mid-engine placement, front double wishbones, and rear McPherson Struts. Early track testing in 1972 at the Tour de Corse and Costa del Sol Rally resolved initial rear suspension issues.
Sandro Munari and co-driver Mario Mannucci earned the car's first victory at the Firestone Rally in Spain in April 1973. Following official Group 4 homologation in October 1974, Munari and Mannucci won the Sanremo Rally and Canada's Rideau Lakes Rally, while driver Andruet won the Tour de Corse to secure the 1974 World Rally Championship for Lancia.
The Lancia Racing Team built 26 official works cars featuring 65-degree Ferrari V6 engines producing between 280 hp for 12-valve heads and 320 hp for 24-valve heads. Weighing 980 kg with a top speed of 220 km/h, the car switched from its original red and white Marlboro sponsorship to its iconic Alitalia livery in 1975.
The Stratos achieved three consecutive Monte Carlo Rally victories, three consecutive World Rally Championships from 1974 to 1976, and the 1977 FIA Rally Drivers World Cup with Munari. In 1978, the Fiat Group shifted its primary WRC program to the Fiat 131 Abarth and reassigned the Stratos mainly to the European Championship.
Despite the focus shift, Markky Alèn and Ilkka Kivimäki drove a Stratos HF to victory at the 1978 Sanremo Rally ahead of the 131 Abarth Alitalia team of Maurizio Verini and Arnaldo Bernacchini. The Stratos continued winning European events into the early 1980s before passing its competition legacy to the Lancia 037 Rally and S4, with two preserved original models currently displayed at Stellantis Heritage Hub in Turin.