Abu Dhabi: Defending Red Bull Air Race World Champion Nigel Lamb says he will have to be “absolutely perfect” if he is to retain his title this season.

The Briton and his fellow Red Bull Air Race pilots are back in Abu Dhabi this week ahead of the 2015 season opener at the Corniche on Friday and Saturday.

And Lamb, 58, who finished fifth in the UAE capital last year, says this year’s competition promises to be tougher than ever.

“Last year was a big challenge because the competition was very very strong and, if you look at the timesheet, you see some of the pilots less than half a second [apart],” said the Team Breitling veteran.

“It is going to be interesting and there will be a lot of different people on the podium. I think everybody can be on the podium and it is going to be a big mix.

“You have very tiny margins and you do make mistakes, but if you make the bigger ones — one slightly wrong turn can drop many many places. You have to have your whole game plan and be absolutely perfect to do well.

“I think this year it is going to very difficult to get points and get on to the podium.”

Lamb added that he feels that last year’s triumph is now a distant memory and he has to start all over again.

“For me, it is pretty simple because everything that happened in 2014, the end was good for us, we won the championship. Now it is a clean sheet of paper,” he said.

“We tried to refine our package and stay competitive — in many areas, not just the plane, but the way we prepare, the way we analyse, the way we prepare for the season. I just hope that what we have prepared in the winter manages to keep us competitive as we were last year.”

Wind will play a major factor in Abu Dhabi, but Lamb is braced for it even though he hopes it stays calm.

“The weather conditions always have their part to play. As a competitor, all you hope is that you have conditions no worse than everybody else so you have an even chance to win. Sure, the wind changes the way the track is,” said Lamb.

The first race will give all teams a chance to assess where they stand at the beginning of the season and then they can build on it.

“We have done all the work possible. Will it work? I don’t know. I am not sure if we will find that out in Abu Dhabi because you can make one mistake and drop right out of contention in the first race. But it does not mean to say that you are not competitive,” he said.