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Race Of Champions: Motorsport World Stars In The Volkswagen Scirocco
Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button, David Coulthard, Mattias Ekström or Giniel de Villiers – the world’s best racers started from the grid at the Race of Champions in Beijing. For the first time, the racing version of the Volkswagen Scirocco was part of the action. 16 top-class drivers competed with identical vehicles in the annual event at Beijing’s famous Olympic Stadium, both in a national and in a single classification. On Tuesday, the "Nations Cup” went to the German team consisting of Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher. The title win of the Race of Champions was celebrated for the third time by Audi factory driver Mattias Ekström, who prevailed against his select rivals at the wheel of – among others – a Scirocco.
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For the first time, the organisers of the Race of Champions took advantage of Volkswagen’s long-standing one-make cup experience. The sport coupé from the Scirocco Cup, equipped with a 200-hp TSI engine and a DSG gearbox with steering wheel paddle shifters thrilled the spectators in the Olympic Stadium of Beijing which is affectionately nicknamed "Bird’s Nest”. Volkswagen provided four technically identical vehicles that will run again next weekend at the season finale of the Scirocco Cup China in Shanghai.
Great honour for "Dakar” winner Giniel de Villiers
Another debut was the running of Volkswagen factory driver Giniel de Villiers, who won the Dakar Rally in January 2009 with the Volkswagen Race Touareg and thus marked the first victory of a diesel-powered automobile in the history of the desert classic. The 37-year-old competed together with David Coulthard as the "RoC Allstar Team” in the Nations Cup and also contested the single classification of the Race of Champions. "It was a unique experience to race at the famous "Bird’s Nest” of all places – and with such an incredible field of contenders,” enthused de Villiers. "What’s more, this was my first visit to China and I enjoyed it very much. The friendliness of the people and their enthusiasm for motorsport greatly impressed me.”
PaddockTalk Perspective
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