David Coulthard is to drive Sebastien Loeb's Citroen World Rally Car after the Frenchman extended an offer.

Five-time rally king Loeb won his third RoC event in six years with victory over now-retired Formula One star Coulthard in front of a 46,000 crowd.

The showdown went to the wire as Coulthard, who beat Irish Tarmac Rally driver Gareth MacHale, Drift champion Tanner Foust and NASCAR runner-up Carl Edwards en route to the final, forced a decider.

But Loeb, victorious over World Touring Car champion and fellow Frenchman Yvan Muller, F1 ace Sebastian Vettel and three-time WTC title-holder Andy Priaulx, ultimately held sway.

Loeb, who enjoyed a test drive in Coulthard's Red Bull recently, is now set to return the favour for the 37-year-old.

"If he wants, then for me it is no problem. I could easily organise that," said Loeb.

To which Coulthard, poking fun at himself to boot, replied: "I would love to... but not in a forest because at the rate I've been crashing, it would make me clearly uncomfortable.

"I don't know if there is a tarmac test track or something because that would be better for me."

Coulthard insisted he gave his all in his bid to become Britain's first winner of an event that has now been running for 21 years.

Joking again, he said: "Well, I had a little bit of energy left over because I only managed two corners in Brazil (the final race of the F1 season)!

"But I used it all up here, and I've even bruises on my hands.... I thought grand prix racing was difficult.

"I've never gone that far in the Race of Champions before, so I was surprised to see how much I was sweating at the end.

"But I came up against a multiple world champion, and to be out on the same race track as him and to be not so far behind, obviously I'm very happy with that."

The crowd at least enjoyed seeing Lewis Hamilton in action as the 23-year-old made his first public appearance in the United Kingdom since becoming world champion.

There was initial disappointment as he was scheduled to face triple Olympic cycling gold medallist Chris Hoy in a challenge that had been billed as 'Man versus Machine.'

Hoy was due to ride his bike, with Hamilton in a McLaren Mercedes SLR, but race organisers decided the track was too treacherous for the Scot on two wheels.

Hamilton at least took to the tarmac in his title-winning McLaren, performing a number of donuts that are banned in F1.

Afterwards he said: "I just want to thank you, all my fans, for supporting me on the way to victory. You have given me so much strength.

"I've still not really had time to take it in. In fact, I don't think it's going to really hit me until the first race of next season (in Australia on March 29).

"We'll keep working hard and hopefully next year I can make a great start and go for it again.

"But it has been a privilege to represent my country. I am very, very proud."

Michael Schumacher and Vettel retained their Nations Cup title for Germany with victory over Scandinavian duo Tom Kristensen and Mattias Ekstrom.