Alejandro Maclean meets MotoGP rider Dani Pedrosa
BARCELONA, Spain – Red Bull Air Race pilot Alejandro Maclean of Spain had the chance to compare notes with compatriot Dani Pedrosa, one of the world’s top MotoGP riders, ahead of the grand finale of the 2009 Red Bull Air Race World Championship on 3-4 October in Barcelona. But words were not enough for the two Spanish motorsport stars. They ended up duelling each other in the air and on the ground.
Pedrosa came third in last year’s MotoGP World Championship and broke a world record earlier this year during free practice at the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello when he hit a speed of 349.3km/h (217.1mph) – about the same pace that Red Bull Air Race pilots reach in their tracks flying just metres over the ground.
The Spanish rider, who just celebrated his 24th birthday on 29 September, will also be competing this weekend at the Portuguese Grand Prix. Pedrosa was delighted to sample the high speed motorsport thrill of a different kind by first flying alongside Maclean in another race plane and then later racing against the Spanish Red Bull Air Race ace on his motorbike.
Pedrosa gets a taste of air racing
Pedrosa took off from the Red Bull Air Race Airport located in Sabadell, a town near Barcelona where he was born and grew up. He got a taste of air racing and high-G manoeuvres in a two-seater passenger plane flown by another Spaniard, Sergio Pla, while Maclean flew nearby in his MXS-R plane. They communicated via radio as Maclean talked Pedrosa through a few race manoeuvres.
Pedrosa admitted that he felt slightly queasy after the flight which included several loops and subjected him to forces reaching as high as 6G. “The G-force is really impressive,” said Pedrosa after the flight. “You really feel it in the pit of your stomach”.
Head-to-head on Barcelona's F1 race track
But the action didn’t stop there. Immediately after landing, Pedrosa jumped out of the cockpit and on to his 900cc motorbike while Maclean stayed aloft. Spain’s fastest biker then went head-to-head against his country’s fastest pilot on Barcelona’s MotoGP race track at Montmelo in a unique bike vs. plane battle.
A straight section of the Montmelo circuit provided the 700 metre race track. It was a close race but Maclean’s plane which is capable of reaching speeds of over 400 km/h was declared the winner.
Both sportsmen wished each other luck in their respective races on the weekend and agreed that remaining focused is the key to success.
Maclean, who has had some promising races this year and took a season-best 7th place among the 15 pilots at the last race in Porto, currently stands 12th in the championship.
Qualifying for the Red Bull Air Race in Barcelona starts at 13:00 local time on Saturday 3 October followed by the race on Sunday 4 October starting at 13:00.
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