Abu Dhabi: The capital skyline surrounding the turquoise waters of Corniche will come alive with the sound of race planes slicing through the air at breakneck speed as world champion Yoshi Muroya of Japan and Martin Sonka of the Czech Republic renew their rivalry, along with 12 of world’s top pilots in the Red Bull Air Race season opener.
The qualifying round of the Master Class gets under way at 4pm while the Challenger Class pilots will take to the skies at 3pm.
The pilots will hit speeds of 370 kmh, enduring forces of up to 10G while navigating a low-level slalom track marked by 25-metre-high, air-filled pylons.
Muroya may have snatched the world title by four points ahead of Sonka last year but his performances at the capital track has been forgettable. He had finished 13th in his last appearance here and will keen to get that record straight this time round.
Sonka, on the other hand, has fond memories of this place and will be entering the first of the eight rounds as defending champion.
“The victory here in Abu Dhabi was my first and so this is a very special place for me and will always remain that way. From the sport prospective, to what we reached last year, it is always important to win at the beginning of the season. To take some good points in the championship standing and then try to keep that position,” said Sonka, whose second place on the overall podium last season was the highest position of his career.
“This winter we had a lot of time to analyse how we performed throughout the whole of last season, but now it’s a new season and regarding this we have thrown everything away and are focused on this race and this season. Our strategy this year is to take it race by race. We definitely like to do our best but with all teams working hard, it might be tougher than last year,” revealed Sonka, who added that he has worked hard on his fitness but it has also saw him put on some extra weight.
“I have put on some muscles and have actually become heavier which is a bit of a handicap for the moment. I need to shed a few more kilos by controlling my diet ahead of the race.”
Former world champions Kirby Chambliss of United States and Matthias Dolderer of Germany will also have ideas of their own on where the world title goes. The duo has so much experience between them that they can give anyone a run for their money on their day.
Then there is Canada’s Pete McLeod, who finished third in the championship race last season. Australia’s Matt Hall has always be a fierce competitor and having twice finished on second place in the overall, he will be keen to start the season on a high.
Great Britain is also back to the World Championship with Ben Murphy making his Master Class debut with the Blades Racing Team. A former leader of the Royal Air Force Red Arrows, Murphy is making his switch from the Challenger Class.
The Challenger Class will see 10 pilots vying for the top honours and watch out for Daniel Ryfa. The Swede may have lost the championship in a close battle to Germany’s Florian Berger but Abu Dhabi has been his forte. The most experienced pilot in the Challenger Class, he will be looking for a hat-trick this time round on the 2018’s new Challenger Class plane — a fast, powerful Edge 540.
Berger, on the other hand, may have clinched back-to-back championship but has never won in Abu Dhabi. He will be keen to make his presence felt straight away with a win here. American Kevin Coleman who was second here last year will be looking to go one step further.
Melanie Astles of France, the first woman to compete in the Red Bull Air Race, also comes into the opener on a high having registered her first win in the 2017 finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Astles had finished third here last season and would be very much looking to improve on her showing.
