28 July 2007
American Mike Mangold was fastest in today’s for the Red Bull Air Race which takes place in London tomorrow.
His time of 1:25.98 minutes is the fastest so far seen on the Thames course, beating Hungary’s Peter Besenyei and BA pilotPaul Bonhomme. Bonhomme is currently leading the championship with 26 points.
With tight turns and twisting curves, the London race track is one of the narrowest of the season. On top of this the pilots face the extra challenge of windy conditions which cause the track to alter on a constant basis, making flying less than straightforward. “You have to prepare for the wind, but once you’re up in the sky, conditions can change rapidly and you are constantly improvising”, explained British pilot Nigel Lamb. “The way you fly out of and into the gates, the kind of turns you take, it all depends on the direction of the wind.”
The race itself takes place at 11 am tomorrow. Tickets are still available for the event, until 10 pm this evening. Log onto <a href=’http://www.redbullairrace.com’ target=’_blank’>redbullairrace.com</a> to grab some.
