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Abu Dhabi’s Flying Falcon Ends 2010 Campaign With Record 4th Race Win In Germany |
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Bonhomme wins back-to-back world championship title with 6th straight podium finishTeam Abu Dhabi’s Hannes Arch clinched a record-breaking fourth consecutive win in the 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Championship final round this weekend to just miss out on reclaiming his second series title. It was all to play for at the EuroSpeedway in Germany for Abu Dhabi’s Flying Falcon, as he looked to wrestle a daunting five point lead back from Paul Bonhomme of Great Britain, who has been on electric form all season. Knowing a win was the only chance for success, Arch also had to rely on his rival finishing outside the top three - a somewhat unlikely feat as Bonhomme had notched up 12 consecutive podium finishes prior to the German showpiece. And despite putting in a historic performance, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA)-backed Arch was unable to do enough to put off the ever-consistent Bonhomme, who retained his title after finishing 0.36s off the pace in second, giving him a much needed four point cushion over the enigmatic Arch. “I am happy for the team winning the race especially after a disappointing qualifying round,” said 2008 World Champion Arch. “The chance was really small as Paul is such a good pilot and I didn’t expect him to make too many mistakes. “I knew I could win the race because the plane is fast and it’s a fast track. We might not have won the championship but we have four races and have lots of track records this year. We’re happy about that, it’s a good feeling.” The race got off to a somewhat dour note with the first Qualifying session postponed due to wet weather. However, once it resumed prior to the main race on Sunday, it was Bonhomme who was quickest out of the blocks with a pole-setting time of 1m10.16secs, earning him a crucial championship bonus point. Arch’s penalty-ridden qualifying flight of 1m14.75secs put him at 7th, way off the pace. It was also a stuttering performance from Bonhomme’s fellow countryman, third-placed Nigel Lamb, who still had an outside chance of snatching a season-ending victory. The Briton suffered a punctured tyre which prevented him from taking off for his final flight and all but ended his title dreams. Yet despite Arch’s blisteringly quick German display in front of 65,000 spectators, it was Bonhomme who was celebrating as the Championship goes on a one-year hiatus. “It’s very special,” Bonhomme said about winning the 2010 world championship title. “I’m very frustrated with that last run. Back-to-back championships is what we were after and it seemed at times during the season we were not getting any nearer to that goal. But it all worked out today.” The race in Germany was the 50th in the eight-year history of the sport. It was also the first time a race had been held over a motor sport racing circuit. |
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