Red Bull Air Race takes to the air in Abu Dhabi

The 2015 Red Bull Air Race World Championship season got under way with a tremendous first race. The 14 pilots have an exciting year ahead of them. DHL is on hand to ensure that things run smoothly in between races.

Well-known race winner pops up in new year: Paul Bonhomme won the opening race of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship series in Abu Dhabi. This was the 50-year-old British pilot’s fourth win in Abu Dhabi where the season opener has traditionally been held since 2005. “I don’t know if I’m really that fast, or whether the others just need a little more time to get going after the long winter break,” quipped Bonhomme after his success.

Winning is more difficult than ever in 2015, as the number of pilots starting has increased from twelve to 14 and competition is tougher than ever. That also presents DHL with exciting new challenges in their role as Official Logistics Partner to the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, because two more light aircraft must now be transported to eight races all around the world. 

A task which Roger Crook, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding, faces with relish. “Motorsport embodies speed, precision and skill at the highest level around the world – attributes that are at the very core of our business. Using our experience in the area of sports logistics, we are only too pleased to join the racing series in raising our game.”

Huge logistical challenge

All the equipment needed for TV broadcasts must also be transported along with the racing aircrafts, plus spare parts and other racing kit. A particularly challenging proposition, since DHL has to  shift 380 tons of equipment, including a whopping 15 kilometres of cable, in 270 containers by land, sea and air.

Everything went like clockwork for the opening race in Abu Dhabi. In bright sunshine, the 14 pilots put on a top-class show that was more exciting than ever for the audience thanks to a new format. Due to the increased number of participants, a three-stage eliminating process is now being used to determine the winner on race Sundays in 2015. Two pilots per duel fight it out in seven heats in the ‘Round of 14’. The seven winners of these duels as well as the fastest loser then go through to the next round, the ‘Round of 8’. Once again, two pilots go head-to-head. The four winners race against the stopwatch in the ‘Final 4’ and the pilot setting the fastest final-4 time wins.

Thrills galore guaranteed

British pilot Bonhomme emerged triumphant in Abu Dhabi, beating off competition from Matt Hall, Pete McLeod und Hannes Arch, albeit by the narrowest of margins – just 0.084 secs tipped the scales in Bonhomme’s favour in the end. The fact that the eight races held in 2014 produced five different winners and that times are so close holds the tantalising prospect of a terrific season with plenty of excitement. 

Seven more races on three continents are planned in 2015 with the season finale scheduled for October 18th in Las Vegas. The next fixture is to be held in Chiba, Japan, on the weekend of 16th/17th May. Once again, DHL will make sure that equipment reaches Japan quickly and safely in a way that is easy on the environment.