LAUSITZ, Germany - Austria’s Hannes Arch said on Wednesday that he felt confident he could win the weekend’s Red Bull Air Race's 2010 season finale at Germany’s EuroSpeedway Lausitz and with, a bit of luck, even overtake Paul Bonhomme to win the world championship. But Bonhomme, the defending champion from Britain who holds a five-point lead over Arch, countered that he was just as confident about winning enough points to clinch a second straight title.
Germany’s Matthias Dolderer said he was optimistic about getting on the podium at his home race -- which is also the 50th since the Red Bull Air Race was launched in 2003. The weekend’s race is also one of the highlights of celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the EuroSpeedway Lausitz, which has the largest and most modern grandstand facility in Europe. The hangars are set up in the pit lane directly in front of the grandstand, giving spectators a privileged view of how the pilots and their teams prepare for the racing.
“My strategy here is to win the race and see what happens,” Arch told dozens of journalists at a news conference in front of the hangars ahead of the first training sessions on Thursday. “I'll do my best to win the race and then sit back and wait for Paul to make a mistake. This is my best season ever and we’ve never flown better as a team -- and everyone knows that. My goal is to come away from Germany with the championship.”
Arch has won three of the last four races -- Perth, Rio and Windsor. The 2008 champion also has what is widely believed to be the fastest plane -- an Edge 540 V3. That is the same plane that Dolderer will be flying in front of his home crowd at the world class EuroSpeedway motorsport racing circuit, the first time a Red Bull Air Race has been held at a motorsport track.
Bonhomme not worried about Arch
But Bonhomme has been the more consistent pilot this year, getting on the podium in all five races and with victories in the two other races in Abu Dhabi and New York. Bonhomme, with a five-point lead, would need to finish at least third in Sunday’s race to win the title if Arch wins the one point for Qualifying on Saturday. There are 12 points awarded to the winner, 10 for second and nine for third place.
“There is absolutely no question in me worrying about the points now,” Bonhomme said. “It’s absolutely pointless. What I’ve got to do is enjoy the training, try different tactics and piece it all together. I don’t have to beat Hannes. If I were going to be a tactician, all I have to do is concentrate on Nigel (Lamb), Kirby (Chambliss), Matt (Hall) and Pete (McLeod). Hannes can do what he wants. All I have to do is beat the others.”
Bonhomme, who came in a frustratingly close second in the 2007 and 2008 season, knows that experience in the title battles in the final race could prove to be be a key advantage -- as he demonstrated last year with a clutch victory in the season finale in Barcelona to beat Arch at the very end of a thrilling championship.
“Of course that’s an advantage,” Bonhomme said of the experience he has flying under pressure. “But the key is just to be cool. I am very relaxed. A little bit of nervousness you have underneath is sometimes a good thing. We’ll see how it goes in the track in training on Thursday. If we go around the track and Hannes, Nigel and Kirby are all two seconds ahead of me, I’ll suddenly have to start doing some rethinking.”
Arch would like to win in Germany to have bragging rights -- the most number of wins in 2010. It would be four if he can win in Germany. In 2008, Bonhomme won four races but Arch won the title with only two wins. Arch would like to turn the tables on Bonhomme this time around by claiming the most victories.
Dolderer feeds off German crowd
Dolderer, still searching for his first victory, said he has been looking forward to racing at home since the 2010 calendar was announced last year.
“I’m really proud to be flying here in Germany and to give the fans a chance to see the race,” Dolderer told the news conference. “It’s great that the season finale is happening here at Lausitz. It’s a fantastic venue. The track is a sensational place to hold a race.”
Even though pilots flying at their home race sometimes feel they are at a disadvantage because of the intense media interest and deluge of requests from friends and family, Dolderer said he is feeding off the energy of his home fans and looking forward to getting a good result. He finished third in the final race of 2009 in Barcelona, his first and only podium so far, and he would like to get on the podium again in Germany.
“Flying at home is a definite advantage for me,” Dolderer said. “You don’t have any jet lag, you can understand everyone, you’ve got the support of so many fans here. When 70,000 people are crossing their fingers for you, I'll definitely feel that positive energy.”
Red Bull Air Race CEO Bernd Loidl also said he was looking forward to the venue at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz.
“We’ve come a long way since the first Germany race in 2006 at Tempelhof Airport in Berlin and the race at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz is a great showcase for the rapid development of the sport,” Loidl said. “The race here will give spectators a unique perspective of all the racing action. They’ll be able to see the race itself and the pit lane and how the teams get the planes ready to race right in front of the grandstand. It’s a really exciting venue.”
Arch speaking at the Race Airport Opening, Lausitz © Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race
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