Positions And Points Based On Qualifying Slots
Hannes Arch of Austria was declared the winner of the Red Bull
Air Race in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, when adverse weather
conditions made it impossible to continue the racing during the Top
12 round. The results were then based on Saturday’s
Qualifying sessions, and the Austrian had won the Qualifying
point.
Britain’s Nigel Lamb was awarded second place based on
coming second in Qualifying while championship leader Paul Bonhomme
was forced to settle with a disappointing third place in the third
race of the 2010 season.
Heavy rain and winds swept across Rio, drenching the 250,000
spectators, during the Top 12 round that initially forced a delay
of the high-speed, low-altitude flying in front of the city’s
Flamengo Beach with pilots in the air called back to the Race
Airport. The pilots were all hoping conditions would improve but
organizers eventually decided not to continue with the Top 12 due
to the inclement weather and unpromising forecast. It was only the
second time that this has happened in the 46-race history of the
Red Bull Air Race World Championship. The last time was in
Longleat, UK in 2006 where Bonhomme was declared the winner.
Hannes Arch Red Bull Photo
Arch’s second-consecutive victory also cuts
Bonhomme’s championship lead to three points. Bonhomme has 31
points after collecting nine points for his second-consecutive
third place finish while Lamb is second at 28 points for his two
second-place finishes in three races this year. Arch currently
stands third with 27 points after collecting a maximum 13 points in
Rio – 12 for the victory and one bonus point for winning the
Qualifying on Saturday in front of 400,000 Brazilian fans. Arch
also won the last race in Perth.
“It’s a good feeling to make up some points on
Bonhomme,” said Arch, the 2008 world champion who was clearly
delighted to take home 25 of a maximum 26 points from the last two
races after stumbling with an 11th place (2 points) in the opening
race in Abu Dhabi. “It was an easy way to win today but
I’m happy to be able to catch up in the championship.
It’s motivating me for the season. Abu Dhabi is history now.
I’m obviously thrilled to get the win today but I would have
liked to have given the spectators in Rio a great race.”
Lamb, off to the best start of his career, was pleased to narrow
Bonhomme’s lead: “It’s a really good result but
deep down it’s a bit of an anti-climax for all of us,”
he said. “I’m kind of disappointed. At least I got 10
points for second, which isn’t bad.”
Hannes Arch Red Bull Photo
Bonhomme and the other pilots had all known that rain was in the
forecast for Sunday even though it had been bright and sunny all
week. They all put their best efforts into winning Qualifying on
Saturday because they knew there was a risk that the race could not
be completed. Bonhomme, who got his very first racing victory in
Rio in 2007, was disappointed with his Qualifying run. Accustomed
to flying in bad weather in Britain, he was hoping to get the
chance to make amends for his Qualifying defeat on Sunday as light
drizzle made the flying challenging during the Wild Card session
and the first half of the Top 12.
Red Bull Photo
“Hey, it’s a net loss of four points in Rio so
that’s a shame,” said Bonhomme with a smile. The 2009
champion dismissed suggestions that the pressure from a resurgent
Arch and vastly improved Lamb was causing him problems. “No,
not at all,” Bonhomme said. “It’s a long season.
We’ve got another five races so it should be good
fun.”
The next Red Bull Air Race takes place in Windsor, Canada on
June 5/6.