Mercedes Formula 1 car to appear at ROC Barbados

• Formula 1 world champions Mercedes will show off their 2012 car – with its screaming V8 engine – at this weekend’s Race Of Champions in Barbados

• The car will be taken on a demo run by official Mercedes F1 reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein, the youngest ever winner in Germany’s DTM series

• Formula 1, Le Mans and Indianapolis 500 winners are among the line-up for the racing action itself, to take place on ROC’s unique parallel track

• They join champions from series including NASCAR, IndyCar, WTCC, WEC, V8 Supercars, World Rallycross and MotoGP in a bid to find the overall ROC ‘Champion of Champions’

• Tickets are still available via www.raceofchampions.com for ROC 2014 at Bushy Park Barbados on December 13-14

This year’s Formula 1 world constructors’ champions Mercedes will bring their 2012 F1 car to the Race Of Champions at Bushy Park Barbados this weekend.

The car, which features a spectacular screaming V8 engine, will be driven round the circuit by official Mercedes F1 reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein. In 2014 the German driver became the youngest ever winner – at the age of 19 – in his home nation’s prestigious DTM touring car series. Wehrlein has since made his Formula 1 testing debut, topping the times on the last day of 2014 action at Abu Dhabi in November.

The demo run will be part of a packed series of shows on two wheels and four that runs in the gaps between the 60-plus head-to-head races making up this weekend’s main racing action. Other highlights will include the FMX4Ever Freestyle Motocross Show, a world record attempt for the most people in a car on two wheels by stunt driver Terry Grant, the Easy Drift show featuring Martinique rally ace Simon Jean-Joseph and its inventor Alexandre Hayot, the ‘Bajan HotBoyz’ motorcycle stunt team and 1984 world champion Stig Blomqvist driving the iconic Audi S1 Group B rally car.

Wehrlein will also take part in Sunday’s Race Of Champions. He has been drawn in a group with nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen, 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay and 2014 GP2 Champion Jolyon Palmer. Before that Wehrlein will partner Palmer on Team Young Stars in Saturday’s ROC Nations Cup, facing Team France, Team Nordic and Team Americas in their group.

The German driver was at Bushy Park today along with Kristensen and 13-time F1 grand prix winner David Coulthard. As the first drivers to arrive in Barbados, the three racers helped launch the new ROC track for the benefit of the local media.

Afterwards Wehrlein said: “It’s been a really good year for me and it feels really good to come to the Race Of Champions. I’ve watched it on TV and I’ve always wanted to drive in this race so I’m really happy to be here and ready to take part. The track is completely different to usual – instead of a stadium it’s on a proper race track. So I’m really looking forward to the weekend and the most important thing is to have fun.

“I’ll also enjoy giving a show in the 2012 Mercedes F1 car. The car sounds really nice so I hope the spectators will really enjoy it. I’ll do some doughnuts and try to put on a good show for all the fans here in Barbados.”

The German is part of a stunning field for ROC 2014 featuring motor sport legends drawn from series including Formula 1, Le Mans, MotoGP, IndyCar, NASCAR, V8 Supercars, WTCC and World Rallycross. Drivers are heading to Barbados from all corners of the world including the USA, Europe, South America and Australia.

The annual end-of-season event, which has been running for over 25 years, brings together some of the world’s best drivers from motor sport’s major disciplines and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery on a unique track with two parallel lanes linked by a crossover bridge. This year’s track at Bushy Park will be twice as long as recent years, leading to even more speed – and adrenaline…

Tickets for ROC 2014 are still available at www.bushyparkbarbados.com/roc-tickets. For access to high-resolution imagery please visit www.raceofchampions.com. You can sign up for all the latest updates at www.raceofchampions.com, Race Of Champions on Facebook or @raceofchampions and #ROCBarbados on Twitter.

The ROC 2014 Draw in full

Race Of Champions (Sunday 14 December)

Group A

Romain GROSJEAN, Lotus F1 Team driver, reigning ROC Champion of Champions

Jamie WHINCUP, V8 Supercars Champion 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009, 2008

David COULTHARD, 13-time Formula 1 grand prix winner

Mick DOOHAN, 500cc MotoGP World Champion 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994

Group B

Petter SOLBERG, FIA World Rallycross Champion 2014

Kurt BUSCH, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion 2004

Susie WOLFF, official test driver for the Williams F1 team

Fastest Team Barbados driver from ROC Caribbean

Group C

José-Maria LOPEZ, FIA World Touring Car Champion 2014

Robby GORDON, Seven-time Off-road Champion, three-time Baja 1000 winner

Fastest ROC Caribbean driver from the other teams

Esteban OCON, FIA European F3 Champion 2014

Group D

Tom KRISTENSEN, nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner

Ryan HUNTER-REAY, Indianapolis 500 winner 2014, IndyCar Champion 2012

Jolyon PALMER, FIA GP2 Series Champion 2014

Pascal WEHRLEIN, youngest ever DTM winner, Mercedes F1 testing in Abu Dhabi

ROC Nations Cup (Saturday 13 December)

Group A

Team France (Esteban OCON & Romain GROSJEAN)

Team Nordic (Tom KRISTENSEN & Petter SOLBERG)

Team Americas (Robby GORDON & José Maria LOPEZ)

Team Young Stars (Jolyon PALMER & Pascal WEHRLEIN)

Group B

Team Australia (Mick DOOHAN & Jamie WHINCUP)

Team Scotland (Susie WOLFF & David COULTHARD)

Team Barbados (Dane SKEETE & Rhett WATSON)

Team USA (Ryan HUNTER-REAY & Kurt BUSCH)

ROC Caribbean (Saturday 13 December)

Team Barbados (Dane SKEETE & Rhett WATSON)

Team Jamaica (Doug GORE & Jeffrey PANTON)

Team Guyana (Kristian JEFFREY & Mark VIEIRA)

Team Trinidad & Tobago (Franklyn BOODRAM & David COELHO)