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Race Of Champions Nations Cup: Kristensen denies Schumacher/Vettel

Tom Kristensen won the Race Of Champions Nations Cup for Team Nordic, beating Sebastian Vettel and then Mick Schumacher in a best of three tiebreak in Mexico

Team Germany had been aiming for a ninth ROC title, but the event's most experienced driver Kristensen beat rookie Schumacher in KTM X-Bows to win by a combined 0.8 seconds.

Vettel lost in his final against nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Kristensen after clipping the advertising barriers at the final corner and getting one of the banners wrapped around the front-left wheel of his RX Superlites cars.

But Schumacher put Germany back into contention, beating double World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson 2-0 in the Mexican-built Vuhl-5 track day cars. It was the only time Kristoffersson lost a race all day.

It followed Schumacher's most impressive drive of the day. With his sister Gina on board the RX Superlite car as a passenger in the semi-finals, he knocked Team Brazil's three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves out by 0.65s.

That put Germany through to the final at the first time of trying, as Vettel defeated Lucas di Grassi in the ROC buggy after di Grassi tapped a barrier at the final corner to lose by a second.

Reigning ROC champion David Coulthard and Team Britain stablemate Andy Priaulx were unfortunate casualties of the group stages.

Although Coulthard was handed a time penalty for twice knocking the barriers in the 600bhp Stadium Super Trucks, Kristensen prematurely gave up on his loop after spinning - allowing Coulthard to win by default.

After a pause for track repairs, three-time World Touring Car champion Priaulx lost both of his races. Too big a slide against Kristoffersson in the KTMs cost him victory, and then he too spun the Stadium Super Truck to lose to IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Host Team Mexico entered four times to boost its chances of a win on the RoC's first visit to Latin America. Ex-Formula 1 driver Esteban Gutierrez and 2018 Indy Lights champion Patricio O'Ward enjoyed star maiden outings at the event.

Despite a valiant effort to beat Kristoffersson at his own discipline, O'Ward was just 0.09s shy of winning the RX battle. Then an impressive second loop from Kristensen overturned Gutierrez's early lead to end Mexico's hopes.

It was a competition to forget for both the Esports and French teams. Despite Pierre Gasly's struggle to get Red Bull to agree to his appearance, he and team-mate Loic Duval were casualties of the first round.

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