Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2018

The fifth stop of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2018 took place above the water area of the Kazanka River between the Millennium Bridge and the Kremlyovskaya Dam, Kazan on 25-26 August 2018. 14 Master Class pilots and 6 Challenger Class pilots competed in the race.

Activition Zone

A unique Activition Zone was available for spectators during the championship in Kazan.

In the Activition Zone, spectators had the opportunity:

• to master a skill of fixing a five-metre high pylon, a reduced replica of pylons used on the track of the race;
• to get first-hand experience of piloting a Red Bull Air Race plane via an in-race VR simulator;
• to attend Sony PlayStation booths;
• to take amazing pictures at photo zones imitating a flight over Kazan in the middle of an aerial stunt, inside a cockpit or near a pylon;
• to collect pictures taken with life-size cardboard cut-outs of pilots;
• to see a spectacular FMX show and bike stunts performed by Russia’s best rider Aleksey Kolesnikov and Co;
• to watch unique flyboard and wakeboard shows;
• to attend street theatre performances and to watch stunts performed by football and basketball freestyle gurus;
• together with their kids to participate in sports activities such as Squirrel Wheels, Bungee Run, Trim Trail and Foam City;
• to take part in the entertainment programme;
• to let their kids play in the kids’ zone;
• and finally to have a meal and to chill out in the lounge zone.

About championship

The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is an international series of air races held under the auspices of the Red Bull GmbH. The Race is recognised as the World Championship accredited by the World Air Sports Federation (FAI).

The event has been held across the globe for more than 10 years. The first race was held in 2003 during in Zeltweg (AUT). After two years of successful staging in Hungary, Great Britain and the USA as a championship, the race was granted the World Series status. The first competition in this format was held in 2005 in seven cities across the globe.

The Red Bull Air Race is renowned as the fastest and most exhilarating motorsport on the planet. The most talented pilots compete in speed and accuracy, navigating the agile and lightweight racing planes. Pilots hit speeds of 370 kmh while enduring forces of up to 10G as they navigate a slalom track marked by 25-metre-high, air-filled pylons, known as ‘air gates’. The pilot with the most points after the last race of the season becomes the Red Bull Air Race world champion.

Kazan will host the championships for the second time – in July 2017 for the first time ever the air race came to Russia, to the capital of Tatarstan. The event was a huge success among the citizens and guests of the city: approximately 90,000 spectators came to see the breathtaking courses and to listen to the roar of the powerful engines. After the brilliant debut in Russia, the Red Bull Air Race comes back to the capital of Tatarstan in 2018.

Competition results

Martin Šonka (CZE) celebrated victory in the Master Class category at the fifth stop of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Kazan. Michael Goulian (USA) placed second, with Kirby Chambliss rounding out the podium in third.

Kevin Coleman (USA) won the title in the Challenger Cup. Patrick Davidson (RSA) claimed his first career podium finishing second. Kenny Chiang (HKG) ended up third.