Abu Dhabi’s Arch Hopes To Make It Fab Four In New York

Record-Breaking US Victory Would See Flying Falcon Lead Series

Team Abu Dhabi’s enigmatic pilot, Hannes Arch, is hoping to make it an unprecedented four wins in a row at this weekend’s Red Bull Air Race World Championship in New York.

Arch, the 2008 world champion, comes off the back of three successive victories in Perth, Brazil and most recently in Windsor, Canada, notching up maximum points to close the gap to two on series leader, Britain’s Paul Bonhomme.

And with a record-breaking run of form behind him, Arch knows that a win in the series’ first New York leg, taking place over the Hudson River at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, will be a watershed moment in his title challenge.

“I’d love to win four in a row, but on the other hand I don’t care that much about records… except track records,” said Arch, who is backed by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA).

“What’s more important for me is to get closer to Paul and widen the gap between myself and Nigel Lamb in third place and not to make any big mistakes. Team Abu Dhabi has been fantastic and has rallied around to help create a winning strategy, which I am confident we can carry through to the end of the season.”

Having re-emerged as a serious world championship challenger after an initial disqualification in the Abu Dhabi opening round, Arch, the ‘Flying Falcon’ knows the Big Apple will level the playing field as a new and untested event.

“I love a challenge and the New York course will provide just that. It’s important to see where others are better and learn from them. However, that only works if you have your own strategy. Otherwise you’ll just be copying what they’re doing and you’ll always be a step behind. I think the key is to think out of your own ‘bubble’ and see where others are better and see what they do,” said Arch, who, two years ago, became the youngest world champion in Red Bull Air Race history.

Crowds numbering in their hundreds of thousands are expected in New York as the course provides excellent spectator vantage points along both sides of the Hudson River, bringing significant exposure for Team Abu Dhabi and the emirate.

“With each race and with each win, the prospect of bringing back the championship to Abu Dhabi gets closer,” said Ahmed Hussein, Deputy Director General, ADTA. “This heightened level of interest provides rich returns for our sponsorship and builds on the substantial awareness of Abu Dhabi in New York spearheaded by our national airline Etihad which operates daily flights from JFK to the UAE capital.”

The Red Bull Air Race World Championship’s 15-strong field will fly at speeds reaching 370km/h and pull up to 12Gs as they navigate dozens of 20 metre high inflatable air gates in New York on Sunday 20th June.
 

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