Hannes Arch Ends American Dominance and Other News From Perth

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With the final round of the Red Bull Air Race in Perth, Western Australia this weekend, all it took was one point; Arch got at least two.

All season long, Paul Bonhomme led the standings in the Red Bull Air Race, but after London, things started going downhill.

Arch was the main rival, but for the longest time, it appeared that either Mike Mangold or Kirby Chambliss would be the challengers for Bonhomme's crown. However, after winning in Budapest and Porto, along with a penalty and a 10th place for Bonhomme, Arch drew away quickly.

Now, in Perth, all Arch needed to do was to be in the eighth position, and he made it through with ease and a first place finish. Surprisingly, it wasn't Bonhomme or either of the two Americans who took second, it was Nigel Lamb's yellow Breitling MXS that took the honours of second place. Bonhomme took third while the outgoing champion Mike Mangold was only able to qualify ninth and go into the Point One round.

As the newest Red Bull Air Race champion, Hannes Arch of Austria becomes the first European ever as well as the youngest pilot to win a championship at 41 years of age.

The Perth Track

The Perth track is a very interesting track in terms of natural and design phenomena.

In terms of natural phenomena, according to former Red Bull Air Race pilot Frank Versteegh, the Fremantle Doctor will play a role in this race and it will affect some pilots' performance. In English, basically the Fremantle Doctor is the cooling afternoon sea breeze which can change direction within an hour. This has to do with the fact that the temperature on land and at sea are very different. It's usually strongest during the summer months of December and January (Australian season), and can be felt as far the town of York, which is 100 km away.

Now, for the design of the track, the entry speeds of the aircraft will be reduced because the pilot has to execute a tight left turn in order to enter, so the g force will be high, but the speed will be lower.

Another new design of the track is a split quadro, known as the "duo." It is a heart shape and hopes to create a bit of unpredictability. Already some pilots, including Arch have hit the gates during training when trying to handle that. It's a complicated gate. Also, executing the half-Cuban eights here will be tighter, so expect higher angles and higher g forces.

Overall, an historical day with the ending of the Mike Mangold's and Kirby Chambliss' run of championships this year. Another year with Bonhomme missing out and the final race for the Extra 300SR, which is being retired due to new regulations being brought in for next year.

Stay tuned for the final race, which will be broadcast on the official website or on Freecaster.

Enjoy the final race of the season!