Race Of Champions Comes to Wellington: Vettel, Bottas, and Paddon
Motorsport’s travelling all‑stars are heading to Wellington. For the first time, the Race Of Champions will be staged in New Zealand, with Hnry Stadium set to transform from football cauldron to high‑octane arena on January 9 and 10, 2027.
This isn’t a demo run. It’s the full show.
Vettel, Bottas and a home hero
The headline act is unmistakable: four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, one of the defining drivers of his generation, will line up on Kiwi soil. Alongside him, current F1 racer Valtteri Bottas will bring Cadillac’s colours to the tight, made‑for‑TV tarmac circuit that will be laid inside the famous “Cake Tin”.
Vettel has already had a taste of the country. Before ROC Sydney, he squeezed in a quick visit to New Zealand and left smitten. He admitted he’d half‑jokingly urged organisers to bring the next edition here. Now, that throwaway line has turned into a full‑blown international event in the capital.
On the other side of the grid, Hayden Paddon will carry the local flag. The Kiwi rally star, a proven winner on the world stage, called it a huge honour to contest the Race Of Champions at home. For a driver who has spent so much of his career representing New Zealand abroad, this is a rare chance to flip the script and welcome the motorsport world into his backyard.
A golden age gets its showcase
Paddon’s excitement reflects the broader mood. New Zealand is producing elite talent across disciplines: rally, IndyCar, NASCAR, single‑seaters. He described it as a golden age, and this event feels like a made‑to‑measure showcase of that surge.
The Race Of Champions has always thrived on contrasts — rally aces versus F1 stars, NASCAR bruisers against precision circuit specialists. Organisers are still finalising the full roster, including Paddon’s teammate for Team New Zealand, but the wish list says plenty about the ambition.
Liam Lawson, NASCAR’s Shane van Gisbergen, and IndyCar champions Scott Dixon and Scott McLaughlin are all among the names being targeted to race alongside Paddon. If even a portion of that quartet appears on the start line, Wellington will be hosting one of the most stacked driver lineups the country has ever seen.
Turning the Cake Tin into a racetrack
The transformation of Hnry Stadium will be rapid and ruthless. Once Wellington Phoenix complete their A‑League clash with Newcastle Jets on January 2, the grounds crew will hand over to circuit builders. From there, the pitch becomes a construction site.
A bespoke tarmac layout will be installed inside the bowl, tailored to ROC’s trademark head‑to‑head format. Short, sharp, unforgiving. No room to hide, nowhere to coast. For fans used to seeing footballers stretch the field, the sight of world champions flicking cars through tight chicanes in the same space will be a jolt.
Wellington on the global stage
For the city, this is about more than lap times. Tourism and hospitality minister Louise Upston has already framed the Race Of Champions as a one‑off statement event, one designed to pull motorsport fans from every corner of New Zealand and plant Wellington firmly on the international racing map.
The capital has long prided itself on hosting big occasions. This one comes with the roar of engines and the draw of global names. It’s a different kind of festival, but the stakes are familiar: full hotels, packed bars, and an audience watching from around the world as the harbour city turns itself into a motorsport amphitheatre.
Tickets, prices and the countdown
Access has been pitched to pull in both die‑hards and casual fans. Day passes start at $49, while weekend tickets begin at $74, opening the door for families and travelling supporters to take in the full spectacle.
Registration for pre‑sale tickets is already open. Those who sign up will get first crack when pre‑sale access begins on Monday, September 21, with general admission tickets following on Tuesday, September 22.
By then, more drivers will be locked in, storylines will be building, and that pristine football surface inside the Cake Tin will be living on borrowed time. Soon enough, it will give way to concrete, curbs and the sound of champions going wheel‑to‑wheel in Wellington.
The only question left is how loud New Zealand’s golden generation will make their presence felt when the world comes to race on their turf.
