Kovalainen signs up for 2010 Race of Champions 01 Nov 2010
Lotus driver Heikki Kovalainen is set to compete at this year’s Race of Champions (ROC) event, which will take place in the German city of Dusseldorf later this month. The ROC is an annual end-of-season competition, which brings together the world's greatest drivers from various motorsport disciplines and pitches them head-to-head in identical machinery.
Kovalainen is already a firm fan of the event, having won the Champion of Champions title back in 2004. The Finn, who had then yet to make his Formula One race debut, made headlines after defeating multiple world champion Michael Schumacher and rally legend Sebastien Loeb along the way to his ROC success.
“The Race of Champions has a special place in my heart because beating Michael and Sebastien in 2004 really got me noticed in the world of motor sport,” he explained. “It was around that time that my road to Formula One really took off. Now we have had a great first year with Lotus. I always revel in the toughest competition - that's why I want to be part of ROC.”
The competition has been staged every year since 1988 and was founded by IMP President Fredrik Johnsson and Michele Mouton, the world’s most successful female rally driver. This year’s event will take place on a specially-constructed tarmac circuit round Dusseldorf’s ESPRIT arena.
“Heikki made a mighty impressive entrance into motor sport folklore with his win at The Race of Champions in 2004,” said Johnsson. “Now we look forward to seeing if he can match that against another field of legends next month.”
Among the other names already confirmed for this year’s Race of Champions are Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, Mercedes GP’s Schumacher, Loeb, four-time Formula One world champion Alain Prost, five-time world 500cc motorcycling champion Mick Doohan and eight-time Le Mans 24-Hour race winner Tom Kristensen.
The 2010 Race of Champions takes place on November 27-28.
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