Grapevine: Schumacher Can be Champion of Champions

Ferrari's Michael Schumacher, already the most successful driver in Formula One history, can become a champion of champions on Saturday.

The 35-year-old German, winner of an unprecedented seven Formula One titles, takes on world rally champion Sebastien Loeb and the best that America can offer in a charity 'Race of Champions' at the Stade de France in Paris.

Organisers have billed the event, to be held on a two-lane asphalt circuit inside the stadium that hosted the 1998 soccer World Cup final, as "a unique showdown to help settle the argument of who is the world's best driver."

Even if it does nothing of the sort, with no Formula One cars in action in a format that looks more likely to favour the rally drivers, both Schumacher and Loeb are up for the challenge.

"I love competing, that's part of what keeps me going," said Schumacher, winner of 13 of the 18 Grands Prix this year.

"I like the idea of having drivers from different series driving with and against each other. Usually this is impossible for us to do. Plus it is simply nice to be able to meet those other drivers."

"I think most of the fans will come to see Michael, not me," declared Loeb, the Citroen driver who this year became France's first world rally champion in a decade.

"It is not often that rally drivers and racing drivers get a chance to compete against each other, and on a neutral track.

"Rally drivers are very adaptable because of all the surfaces we use but F1 drivers are very precise. It will be exciting," he told the event website.

Schumacher's opponents from across the Atlantic include NASCAR's race winner Jimmie Johnson, France's Champ Car (CART) champion Sebastien Bourdais and Indy Racing League (IRL) champion Tony Kanaan of Brazil.

The list includes former world rally champions Colin McRae and Marcus Gronholm along with Formula One drivers past and present - France's Jean Alesi, Briton David Coulthard and Brazilian Felipe Massa.

Citroen and Peugeot, stablemates who have dominated rallying for the last five years, will each provide three rally cars while Ferrari have prepared four identical Modena Challenge sportscars. There will also be ROC dune buggy racers.

The rally and circuit drivers will be kept apart initially, pairs from each group competing in head-to-head knockout heats in identical cars and on parallel tracks.

The winner of each division goes into a final shootout to be crowned champion of champions and take the Henri Toivonen trophy, named after the Finn who died in the 1986 Corsica Rally while leading the championship.

Schumacher partners rally compatriot Armin Schwarz in the Nations Cup team event.