Daniel Ricciardo will kick off his Race of Champions campaign against Force India star Nico Hulkenberg at London’s Olympic Stadium on Saturday.
The annual event that pitches global motorsport stars against each other in a variety of different machinery has announced the line ups for the opening rounds of the competition.
Although not unprecedented, this year’s Race of Champions will be held before the close of the Formula 1 season.
However, unlike previous seasons cars will start half a lap apart rather than side-by-side similar to Olympic track cycling races.
Ricciardo’s clash against reigning Le Mans 24 hour winner Hulkenberg is one of two all Formula 1 opening match ups with McLaren’s Jenson Button due to take on Williams‘ Felipe Massa.
The Red Bull star will also face Sebastian Vettel in the Nations Cup when Team Australia kick off against Team Germany on Friday afternoon.
Saturday’s individual quarter finals will also see Vettel face World Rallycross champion Petter Solberg, while former F1 driver David Coulthard will meet Susie Wolff, competing in her final event before retiring from the sport.
The other half of the draw features match ups between nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen and FIA Formula E champion Nelson Piquet Jr, and Lotus F1 star Romain Grosjean and double British Touring Car champion Jason Plato.
The event will begin with four Round 1 fixtures on Friday providing an eagerly anticipated race between Australia’s five-time motorcycle world champion Mick Doohan and newly crowned MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo.
Two-time World Touring Car champion Jose Maria Lopez will race IndyCar ace Ryan Hunter Reay with Pascal Wehrlein/Andy Priaulx and Alex Buncombe/Jolyon Palmer races completing the Round 1 schedule.
The winners of these contests will progress to the quarter final stage completing the roster of eight match ups.
Defending Nations Cup champions Team Nordic (Kristensen/Solberg) will take on Team Americas (Hunter-Reay/Lopez).
Race of Champions Draw (Saturday November 21)
Round 1
José Maria López v Ryan Hunter-Reay (Match A)
Pascal Wehrlein v Andy Priaulx (Match B)
Mick Doohan v Jorge Lorenzo (Match C)
Alex Buncombe v Jolyon Palmer (Match D)
Quarter-finals
Sebastian Vettel v Petter Solberg
Daniel Ricciardo v Nico Hulkenberg
Jenson Button v Felipe Massa
David Coulthard v Susie Wolff
Tom Kristensen v Nelson Piquet Jr
Romain Grosjean v Jason Plato
Winner Match A (López/Hunter-Reay) v Winner Match B (Wehrlein/Priaulx)
Winner Match B (Doohan/Lorenzo) v Winner Match D (Buncombe/Palmer)
Race of Champions Nations Cup (Friday November 20)
Round 1
Team ALL STARS v Team YOUNG STARS (Match A)
Romain Grosjean v Pascal Wehrlein
Jorge Lorenzo v Jolyon Palmer
Team ENGLAND 1 v Team BRAZIL (Match B)
Andy Priaulx v Nelson Piquet Jr
Jason Plato v Felipe Massa
Quarter-finals
Team NORDIC v Team AMERICAS (Match A)
Tom Kristensen v José Maria López
Petter Solberg v Ryan Hunter-Reay
Team AUSTRALIA v Team GERMANY
Daniel Ricciardo v Sebastian Vettel
Mick Doohan v Nico Hulkenberg
Team ENGLAND 2 v Team SCOTLAND
Alex Buncombe v Susie Wolff
Jenson Button v David Coulthard
Winner Match A v Winner Match B
Grosjean/Wehrlein v Priaulx/Piquet Jr
Lorenzo/Palmer v Plato/Massa
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