Matt Hall has the edge in Cannes with historic win
The first ever French leg of Red Bull Air Race brought together 83 500 spectators in 3 days of the event. Matt Hall had the perfect game plan.The German Matthias Dolderer finished second, and the American Michael Goulian settled for bronze. Two races, two winners, and 6 more legs ahead only mean that the real encounter for the champion title has only begun.
The long-awaited premiere of Red Bull Air Race in Cannes proved to be more than just dramatic. Twice during his career Matt Hall was a runner-up and this time at the Cote D'Azur he proved that the silver medals he had won are no accident. He took off first and win with a Final 4 time of 57.692s. Hall took the win by just 0.072s while the defending champion Yoshihide Muroya picked up a two second penalty for incorrect level flying at Gate 8 and put an end to the hope of a podium. It seemed that only Martin Sonka, the Czech pilot who had also fought Final 4, was able to put up a good fight against Matt Hall. However, after his Round of 8 rival, Martin Sonka was disqualified for a rule infringement. Sonka went down to the 8th place in the standings, so Michael Goulian found himself in the Final 4 instead.
With just few points ahead of his rivals, Goulian's advantage is quite unstable and the next lag in Japan can be decisive. Yoshihide Muroya will fly at home during the next leg in Chiba which means there will be a lot of fans waiting for his victory. As for Goulian competing since 2004, it was the best start of the season in his career.
The next race will take place in Japan. The leg in Chiba, Japan, will be held on 26-27 May and there is no doubt that the home crowd will be waiting for their champion Yoshihide Muroya.
One of the legs of the world race will take place in Kazan on 25-26 August. The capital of Tatarstan hosts the race for the second time, as in July 2018 thousands of citizens and guests of Kazan have already witnessed the Red Bull Air Race encounter.
Tickets for Red Bull Air Race 2018 already went on sale. All information about the ticket sale and the latest news are available on the website www.redbullairrace.com
About Red Bull Air Race
The Red Bull Air Race had its inaugural season as a World Series in 2003. More than 80 races have been held ever since. Using the most agile, lightweight racing planes, pilots hit speeds of 370 kmh while enduring forces of up to 10G as they navigate a slalom track marked by 25-metre-high, air-filled pylons, known as ‘air gates’. Pilots hit speeds of 370 kmh while enduring forces of up to 10G as they navigate a slalom track marked by 25-metre-high, air-filled pylons, known as ‘air gates’. The Challenger Cup joined the race in 2014, where the pilots sharpen their skill to move up to the Master Class.