Loeb: RoC victory was unexpected

The five-time World Rally Champion and Team France teammate Yvan Muller were knocked out of the earlier Nations Cup competition in the first round by eventual losing finalists Team Scandinavia.

Then Loeb crashed at the first corner in the first round of the Race of Champions itself and had to come from behind to beat Muller.

But he still made his way through to the final where he narrowly beat David Coulthard in the deciding race.

"I had done only one race in the Nations Cup, so I didn't have the experience, and all the drivers have to fight in the start of the Race of Champions, so I didn't feel so confident," said Loeb.

"But finally it went well, and I took the confidence and had a good feeling so it was ok, you just want to do your best.

"It was a tough fight, I was close to finished in the first corner and when you have all the best drivers in the world here, it's always tight."

The victory gave Loeb his third Race of Champions title and his first at Wembley, following his previous two successes at the Stade de France in Paris.

"It was a good atmosphere," he added. "For sure in the Stade de France I had more fans, but that's normal because it's in France. But here was a good atmosphere also.

"It's always a nice moment to come here because it's a unique opportunity to see drivers from Formula One, motorbikes, NASCAR, everywhere - even Yvan Muller, my teammate in the French team, I don't meet him on many other occasions."