Arch Wins After Rain Washes Out Rio Race

Heavy rainfall caused the third stop of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2010 in Rio de Janeiro (BRA) to be cancelled on Sunday. Victory went to Hannes Arch thanks to his top spot in Qualifying on Saturday, meaning the Austrian now has back-to-back wins. In the overall standings Arch now lies just one point behind second-placed Nigel Lamb (GBR) and five points behind reigning world champion and overall points leader Paul Bonhomme (GBR).RIO DE JANEIRO (BRA). After glorious sunshine and temperatures touching 30 degrees Celsius during Qualifying, the weather gods were anything but friendly to the best pilots in the world on Sunday. Steady rainfall off the coast of Rio de Janeiro forced the race directors to abandon the Top 12 session after only four pilots had completed the course. The decision meant that the results of Qualifying on Saturday were used to calculate the final positions, giving Hannes Arch his second win in a row after top spot in Perth (AUS) just a few weeks ago.“On the one hand I am really pleased to have won, but on the other hand we would have liked to give the hundreds of thousands of fans here a race to watch,” commented the Austrian directly after the cancellation. Despite his mixed feelings, the result means that Arch is right back in the hunt for this year’s overall title and now lies just give points behind leader Paul Bonhomme, who was could only finish third in Rio behind Arch and Nigel Lamb, himself currently second in the overall standings.The Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2010 now heads towards North America, where the fourth of the eight stops comprising the 2010 World Championship will take place on 5/6 June 2010 in Windsor (CAN).  

   

  

 

 

Lightning Arch Takes Quali Win in Rio

Hannes Arch flew rings around the fastest pilots in the world in Qualifying for the third stop of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2010 on Saturday. The Austrian continued where he left off at the second race of the season in Perth (AUS) to secure the one bonus point up for grabs in Qualifying and close to just seven points the lead held by Paul Bonhomme (GBR) in the overall standings.

RIO DE JANEIRO (BRA) In front of an incredible 400,000-strong crowd lining the beaches of the Brazilian metropolis, Hannes Arch grabbed top spot in Qualifying with a lightning-fast time (1:20.44) ahead of Britain’s Nigel Lamb (+0.72) and his compatriot and reigning Red Bull Air Race World Champion 2009 Paul Bonhomme (+1.18). 

Arch had already underlined his formidable form by posting fastest times in both of the final training sessions on Friday. Saturday saw him pick up where he left off as the Austrian found himself lying second after the first Qualifying run despite a two-second penalty, just 0.22 seconds behind Lamb, who had completed the course without picking up any penalties. However, nothing and nobody could stop Arch on his second run as he took to the skies as the last of the 14 pilots to secure victory with a fantastic run that saw the 2008 World Champion increase his lead from sector to sector through the tricky course.

“After training on Friday I knew that we would be among the fastest teams this weekend. That feeling was confirmed in my first run, where I was only just behind Lamb despite having received a two-second penalty. On the second run everything went perfectly. It’s a great feeling to pick up the World Championship point. Our performance today certainly makes us optimistic looking towards tomorrow,” commented a positive Arch.

The race begins on Sunday at 11.15 hours local time. In 2007, over a million people flocked to the beaches of Rio de Janeiro to follow the fastest motorsport series in the world.

Combative Arch Looks to Continue Winning Form in Rio

Hannes Arch is looking to once again underline his top form and increase the pressure on reigning World Champion and overall points leader Paul Bonhomme (GBR) at the third stop of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2010 in Rio de Janeiro (BRA) on 8/9 May. A classy win in the second race of the season in Perth just a few weeks ago catapulted the Austrian into third place in the overall standings and banished once and for all the painful memories of his disqualification at the opening event of the season in Abu Dhabi (UAE). Now the runner-up in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2009 wants to continue his winning form and take over the lead in this year’s World Championship.

“If I stay calm and focus on flying then I should be up there with the fastest pilots in Rio too,” explains a confident Arch. “Our plane is very fast – I don’t think there is a better one in the World Championship. But it isn’t just about the plane. At this level even the smallest mistake can have catastrophic consequences.” Arch current lies third in the overall standings, four points behind second-placed Nigel Lamb (GBR) and eight points behind leader Paul Bonhomme. However, two of this season’s best pilots are also hot on the heels of the Austrian: Matt Hall (AUS) and Pete McLeod (CAN) are level on points with Arch in fourth and fifth place respectively and will be looking to break into the top three in Rio.

The pulsating metropolis Rio de Janeiro is one of the pilots’ favourite race locations. In 2007 over a million people flocked to the city’s beaches to follow the action, and this year another bumper crowd is expected. However, racing conditions in Rio certainly won’t be easy, with a strong sea breeze meaning pilots will be forced to take a difference race line in the afternoon to get through the tricky course quickly and safely.

Rio de Janeiro also has a special place in Hannes Arch’s heart. It was there that the Austrian took fourth place in 2007, the best result of his rookie year. “My first season wasn’t always that easy and it was definitely a steep learning curve, but the result in Rio was for me the proof that I could compete with the best pilots in the world. That gave me the confidence to really go for it in my second season in 2008 and win the World Championship.”

Qualifying for the race takes place on Saturday, 8 May 2010 at 1200 hours local time. The race itself is scheduled to begin at on Sunday, 9 May at 1115 hours local time.

Mario Schoby / Chili Sports Communication / +43 664 638 59 97

Safe the date … 19. – 21. August

Attend the Hannes Arch fan trip to Budapest

Flight maneuvers which are fascinating, thrilling challenges between the worldwide best pilots and breathtaking speeds: that’s the Red Bull Air Race.
This year the Red Bull Air Race takes place at 8 different spectacular locations all over the world. Already the 7^th time in succession this stunning event takes place in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, above the Danube River and in front of the  Hungarian parliament.  
Join the Red Bull Air Race Budapest live when Hannes Arch battles for his 2^nd world championship title. Support Hannes together with other fans, enjoy the incredible excitement during the race and the best thing is: everything happens right in front of you! 

               price:*

               price for a triple bed room          € 255 p.P.

               price for a double bed room        € 265 p.P.

               price for a single bed room         € 310 p.P. 

*included in price: bus, hotel, grandstand ticket

More information at http://www.geo.at/redbullairrace/