Petter Solberg and his brother Henning will compete together as Team Norway at the ‘Race of Champions’, the end-of-season motorsport showdown which takes place in London on 16 December.

Using identical cars, and on a track built inside Wembley Stadium, the Solbergs will compete against a select group of the world’s top drivers, including seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher, four-time Champ Car winner Sébastien Bourdais, triple World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx and fellow WRC star Marcus Gronholm.

Petter and Henning will compete in a series of knockout heats both individually and for their country in The ROC Nations Cup. Then, in a shoot-out to determine the master of motorsport, the winners will go head-to-head in a super final, with the victor awarded the title ‘Champion of Champions’.

I’ve never competed at the Race of Champions before, so I’m very glad to be there this year,” said Petter. “I am looking forward to meeting up with a lot of other drivers, and we can show them that WRC drivers are the quickest! It’s going to be very special for my brother and I to be in the same team, and a very appropriate way to remember Colin McRae who raced at the event with his own brother in 1998.”

This is the first time Norway will be represented in The ROC Nations Cup and I think we will be a strong contender. I’m sure we will get the support of many Norwegian fans that will travel to Wembley. We’ll make a good show for the fans and try to keep it sideways all the way!”

The ROC was created in 1988 by Fredrik Johnsson and the world’s most successful female rally driver Michèle Mouton. Its popularity has grown steadily, and in recent years more than 50,000 spectators have crowded into the Stade de France in Paris to watch the competition. The television audience has rocketed too. Last year’s race was shown in over 200 countries and watched by more than 186 million viewers.

“We are very happy to invite Petter and Henning to The Race of Champions and the ROC Nations Cup,” said Fredrik Johnsson, President of event organiser IMP. “This year most countries are represented by two racing drivers or one racing and one rally driver but Norway will be the exception with two very talented rally drivers known for their spectacular driving style!”