Photo: RedBull

Bonhomme triumphs in front of a million cheering spectators

British pilot Paul Bonhomme (01:32.45 minutes) won a decisive victory against Spaniard Alejandro Maclean (01:36.53) in the the second leg of the Red Bull Air Race World Series, held Saturday over Botafogo Bay in Rio de Janeiro.  “Awsome and unforgettable,” said a beaming Bonhomme. “That was by far the best racing event of my career. From training and qualifying to the elimination and in the end the finale. I dominated in Rio.”  The biggest surprise of the competition was the strong performance by Austrian rookie Hannes Arch, who came in a respectable fourth behind 2005 World Series champion Mike Mangold (

USA).  Peter Besenyei (HUN), who won the first race of the season, was disqualified, while current world champion Kirby Chambliss (USA) disappointed after he struck a gate and was knocked out of the quarter final as a result. “It’s a dream come true for me,” said Arch about his strong performance.

“It’s a Brazilian fairytale. I just barely missed the final.” The Red Bull Air Race in Rio de Janeiro’s

Botafogo

Bay marked a new dimension in spectator attractions for

Brazil. One million people turned out for the race, crowding the coastline and transforming it into the biggest sport event in Brazilian history. Sergey Rakhmanin (RUS), Frank Versteegh (NED), Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA) und Klaus Schrodt (GER) were the four slowest pilots in the elimination, failing to make it through to the quarter finals. “When you’re flying to the limit, mistakes happen. The strong competition forced me to go all out,” said Versteegh explaining why he was knocked out of the race early. 

Bonhomme also scored the fastest round of the day after finishing the elimination session in just 01:30.98 minutes.

For more information about the RedBull airrace, visit www.air-races.com