Race Of Champions roars into Wellington for historic 2027 showdown

New Zealand’s capital will play host to global motorsport royalty when the Race Of Champions (ROC) touches down at Hnry Stadium on 9–10 January 2027, marking the event’s first-ever appearance in New Zealand and a blockbuster addition to the country’s summer events calendar.

The 2027 Race Of Champions Wellington will bring some of motorsport’s biggest names to New Zealand, with four-time Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel, 2025 Supercars
Champion and Race Of Champions Sydney 2025 runner-up Chaz Mostert, 10-time Formula 1 race winner Valtteri Bottas, and New Zealand rally star Hayden Paddon among those set to
take to the track, with many more star drivers to be announced in the lead up to this spectacular event.

In a spectacular first for Wellington, the drivers will go head-to-head on a purpose-built tarmac race track inside Hnry Stadium, in identical competition cars so only drivers skill determines the winners.

Established in 1988, the Race Of Champions stands as the ultimate head-to-head motorsport spectacle, pitting elite talent from Formula 1, WRC, IndyCar, NASCAR, Le Mans, and Supercars against one another in identical machinery to crown the undisputed world’s fastest driver. Over the decades, legendary competitors like Lando Norris, Valentino Rossi, Fernando Alonso, David Coulthard, Mika Häkkinen, Sébastien Loeb, alongside Michael and Mick Schumacher, have tested their skills at ROC, with Wellington now preparing to host a stellar lineup of international superstars this coming January.

Delivering an extraordinary display of versatility, speed, and driver control, competitors will battle wheel-to-wheel on a custom-built parallel circuit inside the stadium, where identical vehicles ensure raw skill remains the decisive factor.

Race Of Champions is proudly supported by the New Zealand Government’s one-off Events Attraction Package, reflecting its significance as a drawcard for domestic and international visitation during the height of New Zealand’s summer season. WellingtonNZ has partnered with the event and Hnry Stadium to help deliver ROC as a centrepiece of the region’s summer events programme.

“Race Of Champions is set to turn up the heat on Wellington’s summer events calendar. Seeing some of the world’s best drivers battle it out at Hnry Stadium will be a thrilling spectacle. This one-off event will draw motorsport enthusiasts from across New Zealand and reinforce Wellington’s reputation for hosting unforgettable major events.” – Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston.

“Before ROC Sydney I went for a first quick visit to New Zealand and was blown away by the beauty of the country, so I told the organisers jokingly can you pls bring the next ROC to New Zealand. I am really looking forward to competing against so many other Champions from across the globe at the Race Of Champions in Wellington in January and get a chance to visit more of New Zealand.” – Sebastian Vettel 4-time Formula 1 World Champion, Race Of Champions “Champion of Champions” 2015, 7-time ROC Nations Cup Champion.

“It’s amazing to see one of the world’s most spectacular motorsport events come to New Zealand for the first time ever. New Zealand is really in a golden age of Motorsport at the moment across so many disciplines and I can’t think of a more fitting celebration of this than Hosting the Race Of Champions that attracts so many of the biggest stars from all around the world. This is really a once and a lifetime opportunity for Kiwi motorsport fans to get up close and personal with drivers from F1, WRC, circuit and other Motorsport forms, all battling it out in equal machinery inside one of NZ’s most famous sports stadiums. It’s really a historic event for so many reasons and I’m personally incredibly proud to be a part of it.” Hayden Paddon 7x New Zealand Rally Champion and Overall Runner-up Paraguay WRC 2026.

“We are very excited to bring the Race Of Champions to Wellington and New Zealand for the first time. This is one of the most beautiful places on earth and there is so much
passion for motorsport and so many talented drivers here. It will be fascinating to see the Kiwi stars compete against some of the international superstars from F1, World Rally and more in front of their home fans.” – Fredrik Johnsson, President & Co-Founder ROC

ROC Wellington will draw multiple audiences to the capital over the two-day event: dedicated motorsport fans, general sports fans looking for something different, entertainment seekers drawn to the atmosphere and activations, families with school-age children, and out-of-region visitors making a weekend of it, reinforcing Wellington’s reputation as a summer destination worth travelling for.

Bringing ROC to Wellington is no small feat of engineering. When ROC staged its Southern Hemisphere debut at Sydney’s Accor Stadium in 2025, crews transformed the venue’s turf into a fully asphalted, side-by-side race circuit in just five days, with more than 200 staff working around the clock and over 400 semi-trailer movements delivering some 4,500 tonnes of road base and asphalt to the site.

Tickets for Race Of Champions Wellington 2027 will be available exclusively via Ticketek New Zealand, with general admission single-day tickets starting from $49 NZD and weekend passes from $74 NZD. Tickets will be available across five categories, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum Start/ Finish Line.

Fans looking for a premium experience can also choose from a range of hospitality packages, including The Pavilion, ROC Champions Club and the exclusive ROC All Access experience, featuring behind-the-scenes paddock access and driver Q&As.

Pre-sale registration is now open via the TEG Sport website: tegsport.com.au,, with pre-sale access available from Monday 21 September ahead of the general public on-sale from Tuesday 22 September. For tickets and hospitality packages, visit Ticketek New Zealand.