Loeb beats Vettel to secure fourth Race of Champions victory

Loeb came through a thrilling semi-final encounter with Ekstrom to make the final, winning a narrowly fought third race to join Vettel, who defeated nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen in the other semi, in the winner-takes-all bout.

The nine-time World Rally champion, who secured his 80th WRC victory on last month’s Monte Carlo Rally, edged Vettel in a competitive opening heat in the final aboard the Polaris RZR after the four-time Formula 1 world champion hit the wall exiting the final turn on lap one.

Loeb then made it 2-0 with victory in the second heat, a closer affair in which Vettel held a narrow first-lap advantage before dropping time on the second lap.

Vettel then forced a decider after a rare mistake from Loeb in the third heat; the Frenchman backed his RX2e electric rallycross car into the snowbank at the start of the second lap, allowing Vettel - who earlier clipped the wall under the bridge - an easy run to the flag.

The final duel, back in the Polaris, went the way of Loeb to the tune of just over eight-tenths of a second.

Loeb's victory puts him level with Didier Auriol's record of four ROC victories.

For the first time in ROC history, the event was held in the norther territory of Pitea on the shores of the Baltic Sea, offering a myriad of challenges to the 18 drivers taking part, many of whom had limited to zero experience of racing on snow and ice.

Colton Herta and Helio Castroneves kicked off proceedings in the first of two preliminary bouts before the round of 16, using the full configuration of the circuit, which had been reduced in length for the Nations Cup due to warming temperatures.

Herta came out on top in the Polaris RZR side-by-side, while double W Series champion Jamie Chadwick knocked