Nigel Lamb wins first Red Bull Air Race Championship

The Red Bull Air Race Championship was decided on the final day of the season as Britain’s Nigel Lamb was able to maintain his overall lead and wrap up his first title. Austria’s Hannes Arch finished in third place at the race in Spielberg in front of a home crowd.

For Nigel Lamb, persistence paid off. After winning the third race of the season in Malaysia, Lamb chalked up five-straight second place finishes to slowly climb the rankings and finish the season as the Red Bull Air Race Champion.

“What a rollercoaster!” said Lamb after winning his first-ever season title. “I've dreamed of this a lot, but I didn't get my aspirations too high because I knew I just had to be really, really solid, be really consistent and not make any mistakes.”

Lamb led the standings coming into the race in Spielberg, Austria over the weekend, but faced intense pressure from Hannes Arch and Paul Bonhomme, the only two other men who had a shot at overtaking Lamb on the final race day.

Have a look at the final Red Bull Air Race standings

While Bonhomme failed to advance to the Final Four (ending his hopes of defending his overall title), Arch was in excellent form all weekend in front of the home crowd in his native Austria. He was scheduled to fly last in the Final Four, and when his turn approached, fate was in his own hands: fly faster than the other three pilots (including Lamb), and the championship was his.

Pushing the plane for all it was worth, Arch knew everything was at stake and left nothing out on the course. Unfortunately, he was hit with a two-second penalty for flying through one of the Air Gates with uneven wings, which dropped him into fourth place at the Spielberg race.

“I wanted to be first and I tried to do everything to get that," said Arch after the race. "On the last run I might have tried a little too hard."

Check out the video highlights from Spielberg

The race was won by France’s Nicolas Ivanoff, and Lamb came in second to lock up the title. Arch ended up second in the overall standings, while defending Red Bull Air Race Champion Paul Bonhomme finished the season in third.

“We were doing very well up until about half way through this year then we sort of petered off,” said Bonhomme after his fifth place finish in Austria. “It feels like we've come fifth every race!”

The Spielberg race at the Red Bull Ring Formula One track marked the end to one of the most exciting Red Bull Air Race seasons on record. After having the championship come down to the wire, all of the pilots are excited to take the air again next season. Now that Lamb has hoisted his first Red Bull Air Race championship trophy, he’ll also get to experience what it’s like to come back as defending champ – it’s a distinction he’s sure to enjoy!

Be sure to check out the motorsports feed on DHL InMotion for a recap of how the 2014 Red Bull Air Race season unfolded. You’ll also find plenty of other updates from the world of DHL motorsports!