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To the amazement of 50,000 spectators across the opening weekend of the 2019 Red Bull Air Race season in Abu Dhabi, the 2017 World Champion Yoshihide Muroya (JPN) claimed the race win by just 0.003s over his longtime rival, defending World Champion Martin Sonka of the Czech Republic. The result sets the tone for the eight-race season to come, and with third-place Michael Goulian (USA) just one point behind Sonka in the overall standings, plus 11 other elite contenders in the mix, there is no telling who will be on top at the November finale.

Although Abu Dhabi provided beautiful flying conditions, a significant shift in wind direction since Friday’s Qualifying resulted in numerous errors. The opening Round of 14 featured seven head-to-heads, with the fastest of each pair advancing, joined by the Fastest Loser. Sonka and Goulian advanced easily.

But the first round was especially tense for the man who finished overall runner-up to Sonka in 2018, Matt Hall(AUS). Already dealing with raceplane issues, Hall faced another challenge in his head-to-head with Great Britain’s Ben Murphy when he was assessed a penalty. But when Murphy received four seconds of penalty including a pylon hit, the Aussie escaped to make the Round of 8 for the 50th time in his career. There he would face off with Sonka.

The Hall vs. Sonka showdown was the last matchup in the Round of 8, but the rivals made it worth the wait. Hall flew cleanly, but his 54.760 left the window open, given that Sonka had flown just over a second faster in the opening round. Then Sonka took off and incurred a one-second penalty for an Over G, and the race was on. Knowing that another Over G would be disaster, the Czech champion pushed as hard as he dared, and just managed to nip a disappointed Hall by 0.256.

In addition to Sonka, the pilots who advanced to the all-important Final 4 were Goulian, Muroya and French pilot Nicolas Ivanoff. But a shock ensued when Ivanoff discovered technical problems and was unable to start his engine, giving him a Did Not Start and fourth place.

Muroya, Goulian and Sonka were assured a spot on the podium, but who would take the win? Muroya flew a sizzling 53.780, and Goulian couldn’t quite maintain the pace, clocking 54.009. It was all up to Sonka. The Czech pilot had the lead for the first splits, but then slipped back to give Muroya the win by three-thousandths of a second.

As the winner of both Qualifying and the race, Muroya made the most of a new World Championship points system in 2019. Points are now awarded for top finishers in Qualifying, and the number of points available on Race Day has changed, as well. Muroya racked up 3 points for Qualifying plus 25 points for the race victory, for 28 overall. In second overall, Sonka has 22 points, while Goulian holds 21.

In 11 previous seasons when Abu Dhabi has hosted the season opener, the race winner has gone on to win the season title three times. It is still anyone’s World Championship to claim.

QUOTES

Yoshihide Muroya (JPN), winner: “It was really close today, but our teamwork worked out. The wind had shifted 180 degrees, so it was very, very difficult to get through Gate 7 today. I think maybe everyone was struggling there. It’s important to win to maximise the points, and our flights were very consistent from Free Practice 1 to the Final, so we’re really happy about that.”

Martin Sonka (CZE), 2nd: “There was another close race in Wiener Neustadt last year, though not quite this close, and we were the lucky ones to be first – this time it’s Yoshi. It was a beautiful race here, and I’m looking forward to enjoying it on TV at home.”

Michael Goulian (USA), 3rd: “I am super satisfied. All you can do is put yourself in a position to win by consistent flying and flying fast, and we did that today. Sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t, so hats off to Yoshi and Martin. But this is the way you start off a campaign – we have momentum that we carried from last year, so this race in Abu Dhabihas been a great way to start.”

Results Master Class, Abu Dhabi 2019: 1. Yoshihide Muroya (JPN), 2. Martin Sonka (CZE),3. Michael Goulian (USA), 4. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA), 5. Matt Hall (AUS), 6. Juan Velarde (ESP), 7. Mika Brageot (FRA), 8. Kirby Chambliss (USA), 9. Pete McLeod (CAN), 10. Petr Kopfstein (CZE), 11. Matthias Dolderer (GER), 12. François Le Vot (FRA), 13. Ben Murphy (GBR), 14. Cristian Bolton (CHI)

World Championship standings 2019, after one race: 1. Yoshihide Muroya (JPN)28 points, 2. Martin Sonka (CZE) 22 pts,3. Michael Goulian (USA) 21 pts,4. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA) 18 pts, 5. Matt Hall (AUS) 14 pts, 6. Juan Velarde (ESP) 13 pts, 7. Mika Brageot (FRA) 12 pts, 8. Kirby Chambliss (USA) 11 pts, 9. Pete McLeod (CAN) 5 pts, 10. Petr Kopfstein (CZE) 4 pts, 11. Matthias Dolderer (GER) 3 pts, 12. François Le Vot (FRA) 2 pts, 13. Ben Murphy (GBR) 1 pt, 14. Cristian Bolton(CHI) 0

Some of the biggest names in the 2019 Red Bull Air Race World Championship took a breathtaking flight over Abu Dhabi, UAE, which will host the sport’s season opener for a record 12th consecutive time this weekend.

Defending titleholder Martin Sonka (CZE), 2018 runner-up Matt Hall (AUS) and third overall Michael Goulian (USA) piloted their single-seat raceplanes past the renowned architecture of the city’s skyline and got a stunning view of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque andMangrove National Park. Then French pilot Nicolas Ivanoff, who has raced in all the Abu Dhabi stops and won in 2016, went aloft to see the cityscape in the light of the lowering sun.

Altogether, 14 of the world’s best Air Racing pilots will reignite their rivalries when Qualifying kicks off at the Abu Dhabi Corniche on Friday, 8 February, followed by the climax of Race Day on Saturday, 9 February 2019.

Catch the drama as the World Championship gets underway in Abu Dhabi. For ticket information a, visit www.redbullairrace.com.

RED BULL AIR RACE 2019 CALENDAR

8-9 February: Abu Dhabi, UAE
TBA: Europe
15-16 June: Kazan, Russia
13-14 July: Budapest, Hungary
7-8 September: Chiba, Japan
TBA: Asia
19-20 October: Indianapolis, USA
8-9 November: Saudi Arabia

The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is an aerial motorsport series that demands a combination of speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile, high performance race planes, pilots compete in iconic locations over water and land. The high speed, low altitude and extreme manoeuvrability required make it only accessible to the world's most exceptional pilots.

ABOUT RED BULL AIR RACE

Flying just metres from the ground, 14 Master Class pilots race against the clock whilst reaching speeds of up to 370 km/h, requiring a combination of precision and skill unmatched in the world of aviation. Pilots must be in peak physical condition as they endure forces up to 12G while navigating the technical racetracks made up of air-filled pylons.

The Air Race was developed in 2003 and is accredited by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), with more than 90 races completed across five continents. As the most advanced aerial challenge in existence, competing in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship is the highest accolade for elite pilots.

A Challenger Cup feeder series was introduced in 2014 with the goal of facilitating the development of the unique skills required for the Master Class for the next generation of pilots.

A new decade opened for the Red Bull Air Race World Championship on Saturday, and the 11th consecutive season opener at Abu Dhabi’s Corniche was loaded with surprises – perhaps none greater than the winner, the USA’s Michael Goulian, who logged his first victory since 2009 to claim the top of the overall leaderboard for the first time in his career. Defending World Champion Yoshihide “Yoshi” Muroya was a close second, with the Czech Republic’s Martin Šonka in third.

Abu Dhabi (UAE) – Abu Dhabi served up ideal racing weather and 50,000 spectators across the weekend for the high-speed, low-altitude sport, and Goulian took full advantage of the perfect conditions. Known for having great promise but often failing to convert early-race speed into a podium, this time the Massachusetts native was icy cool. Going first in the Final 4, he delivered one of the best times of the day – 53.695 – to Šonka’s 54.650 and a 54.768 from fellow American Kirby Chambliss. It was all down to Muroya, and while the Japanese ace flew cleanly, his 53.985 gave Goulian his first win since Budapest 2009, and the second of his career.

Some of the favorites for 2018 will have to scramble back fast if they want to build momentum for the title, like Germany’s 2016 World Champion Matthias Dolderer and 2017’s third-place finisher Pete McLeod of Canada, who finished at the bottom after getting “Did Not Finish” penalties for exceeding maximum G. Then again, Muroya went from 13th at last year’s season opener to taking the World Champion title. Given their strong starts, Muroya and Šonka appear to be the pilots to beat, but with seven races to go, take nothing for granted, especially with two-time titleholder Chambliss looking good and Goulian in career-best form.

"It was awesome. It’s been a long time coming to get to the second win and my whole team is over the moon,” said Goulian, who most recently was on the podium as part of a North American sweep at the Red Bull Air Race in Kazan, Russia last season. “Now we need consistency. There are 13 other great pilots in the Red Bull Air Race, and I feel nothing but excitement for the rest of the year."

Another unexpected high point came from Great Britain’s Ben Murphy, the only newcomer to the World Championship this season, who advanced to the Round of 8 in his very first race, an exceptional result.

From the Corniche to the Croisette!

Next up for the world’s best pilots: the long-awaited debut of the Red Bull Air Race in France, when the raceplanes fly above the Côte d’Azur at Cannes on 21-22 April 2018.

Be there: Tickets for the 2018 Red Bull Air Race World Championship are on sale now. For more information on tickets and all the latest, visit www.redbullairrace.com

Results Master Class Abu Dhabi 2018: 1. Michael Goulian (USA), 2. Yoshihide Muroya (JPN), 3. Martin Šonka (CZE), 4. Kirby Chambliss (USA), 5. Matt Hall (AUS), 6. Ben Murphy (GBR), 7. François Le Vot (FRA), 8. Mika Brageot (FRA), 9. Petr Kopfstein (CZE), 10. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA), 11. Juan Velarde (ESP), 12. Cristian Bolton (CHI), 13. Matthias Dolderer (GER), 14. Pete McLeod (CAN)

World Championship standings after one race: 1. Michael Goulian (USA) 15 points, 2. Yoshihide Muroya (JPN) 12 pts, 3. Martin Šonka (CZE) 9 pts, 4. Kirby Chambliss (USA) 7 pts, 5. Matt Hall (AUS) 6 pts, 6. Ben Murphy (GBR) 5 pts, 7. François Le Vot (FRA) 4 pts, 8. Mika Brageot (FRA) 3 pts, 9. Petr Kopfstein (CZE) 2 pts, 10. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA) 1 pt, 11. Juan Velarde (ESP) 0, 12. Cristian Bolton (CHI) 0, 13. Matthias Dolderer (GER) 0, 14. Pete McLeod (CAN) 0

Red Bull Air Race 2018 Calendar
2-3 February: Abu Dhabi, UAE
21-22 April: Cannes, France
26-27 May: Europe, location TBA
23-24 June: Budapest, Hungary
4-5 August: Asia, location TBA
25-26 August: Kazan, Russia
6-7 October: Indianapolis, USA
November: Asia, location TBA

ABOUT RED BULL AIR RACE
Created in 2003, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship has held more than 80 races around the globe. The Red Bull Air Race World Championship features the world’s best race pilots in a pure motorsport competition that combines speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile, lightweight racing planes, pilots hit speeds of 370kmh while enduring forces of up to 10G as they navigate a low-level slalom track marked by 25-meter-high, air-filled pylons. In 2014, the Challenger Cup was conceived to help the next generation of pilots develop the skills needed for potential advancement to the Master Class that vies for the World Championship

In Qualifying for the 11th season opener of the Red Bull Air Race in Abu Dhabi, UAE on Friday, Matthias Dolderer of Germany appeared to be back in the form that won him the 2016 World Championship, topping his nearest competitor, Michael Goulian of the United States, by more than a half second. But look out: Reigning titleholder Yoshihide Muroya of Japan was closing in fast with the second of his two runs, and the racetrack over the Abu Dhabi Corniche forces even the favorites into penalties. Anything can happen when Race Day takes off on Saturday.

Abu Dhabi (UAE) – In the warm desert sun, Dolderer turned up the heat, blazing through the 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) racetrack over the Arabian Gulf in a new track record of 52.795. Goulian, who like the German had been on fire during earlier Free Practice sessions, served up 53.392 to Muroya’s 53.404 and a head-turning 53.416 by France’s Mika Brageot, who is starting only his second World Championship campaign.

The season opener for the new dimension of motorsport launches a calendar that will see 14 of the world’s best pilots racing at 370kmh at eight stops around the world. With pilot skills and raceplane technology at an all-time high, it is arguably the tightest field ever, and every team wants to set the pace. As the 2017 World Champion, Muroya is the man to beat; but Dolderer is feared by all after taking second at the Abu Dhabi Corniche in 2016 and going on to dominate the entire season.

Qualifying results determine the head-to-head matchups for Race Day’s opening Round of 14. As the day’s fastest, Dolderer will face the slowest – not an easy task as that opponent is Australia’s Matt Hall, the only pilot who managed to rival the German right up until he clinched his 2016 crown. Goulian should have an easier assignment against France’s Nicolas Ivanoff, who is hindered by the backup plane he is flying as his own raceplane needs repairs.

All of Japan will be on their feet when Muroya goes up against Canada’s Pete McLeod, who was third place overall last season, while Czech fans will wonder who to root for as two of their heroes square off: Martin Šonka, who was second place overall last year, against Petr Kopfstein.

The pilot who brings Great Britain back to the World Championship this season, former Red Arrows Team Leader Ben Murphy, pulled off a fine result in his first Qualifying, a ninth-place finish that will see him race against Spain’s Juan Velarde.

While happy with his pole position, Dolderer knows he has to be careful: He has flown so aggressively in Abu Dhabi so far that in some runs he has been penalized for going past the G force limit. “I always try to go to the maximum to get the best speed and time, and my tactician tells me to cool down – but it doesn’t work. So I have to find a way to get rid of over-Gs, which would kill my race,” he stated. “For all 14 of us, it’s a new game at zero points. The major goal is to be consistent and not to get penalties.”

Dolderer also received the DHL Fastest Lap Award, first introduced in 2016 to define a new standard of speed at the Red Bull Air Race. At each race, the DHL Fastest Lap Award goes to the pilot who has clocked the fastest single lap among all of the two-lap Qualifying runs. At the end of the season, the pilot with the most awards across the eight races is presented with the DHL Fastest Lap trophy – an honor that Dolderer previously claimed in 2016.

Get the best seats! Tickets for the 2018 Red Bull Air Race World Championship – including Race Day in Abu Dhabi on 3 February – are on sale now. For more information on tickets, the Abu Dhabi start list, and all the latest, visit www.redbullairrace.com

Results Master Class Qualifying, Abu Dhabi 2018: 1. Matthias Dolderer (GER) 52.795, 2. Michael Goulian (USA) 53.392, 3. Yoshihide Muroya (JPN) 53.404, 4. Mika Brageot (FRA) 53.416, 5. Kirby Chambliss (USA) 54.032, 6. Juan Velarde (ESP) 54.045, 7. Martin Šonka (CZE) 54.323, 8. Petr Kopfstein (CZE) 54.336, 9. Ben Murphy (GBR) 54.351, 10. François Le Vot (FRA) 54.702, 11. Cristian Bolton (CHI) 55.011, 12. Pete McLeod (CAN) 55.176, 13. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA) 56.444, 14. Matt Hall (AUS) DNF

Red Bull Air Race 2018 Calendar
2-3 February:    Abu Dhabi, UAE
21-22 April:       Cannes, France
26-27 May:        Europe, location TBA
23-24 June:       Budapest, Hungary
4-5 August:       Asia, location TBA
25-26 August:   Kazan, Russia
6-7 October:      Indianapolis, USA
November:        Asia, location TBA

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