Red Bull Air Race 2018 - Chiba
The skies above Chiba will once again become a motorsports battleground, when the home of the Samurai welcomes back the Red Bull Air Race for the fourth time. The sprawling metropolis of Chiba is renowned as the birthplace of civil aviation in Japan and will host the sport again on 26-27 May. Join us!
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Red bull this is a p poor show, with no streaming working. Was working forn2 min before 0700utc then off since -
Le Vot collecting a number of mid-field results in Chiba. He's a really skilled pilot with some fantastic, intuitive flying, but has struggled again with his raceplane setup.Le Vot just climbs in Gate 3, really on the edge there but it's a penalty and he clocks in over 58s
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We hear Le Vot vocalising there through the VTM... he needs more precision and more pace though
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- Pylon Hit!
Le Vot was heading for a third place finish so far, and it's a pylon hit for the French pilot who will be GUTTED with that performance... he knows he's capable of so much more! - Pylon Hit!
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Current conditions:Top Wind Speed/Direction: 10kts
Temperature: 21.8CAir Pressure: 1006.1mbar -
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Current standings:1. McLeod2. Kopfstein3. Bolton
4. Ivanoff5. Le Vot -
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Still not working in South Africa, 2 different devices and pic and tried different browsers too. You geo blocking the streams
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Velarde now into the track... he's in the chase and looking more settled and smoother out there compared to his FP sessions... he goes gunning for the Finish Gate though after pulling some clean VTMs and getting more speed out of the engine... that's 56.840 for the Spanish pilot.He's capable of being super competitive and will have the confidence to push through this second Run, very tight turns and wings level through the Gates, he's on the final sprint for the Finish Gate.
We wait with baited breath as it's under review... and it looks like Velarde has to make do with 2nd place as he picks up +2s at Gate 11... that would have been a top spot, but he'll have no choice but to take it and move on tomorrow. Still, a great performance from Velarde and he'll be watching the timings with interest from the Race Airport.Velarde - 56.840 -
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GBR's Ben Murphy next up... he's in his inaugural season here in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship Master Class and it's been a real learning curve for the British pilot.
A confident, smooth run, just a couple of wobbles there and it's a bit of a lengthy wait as his flying session is under review... -
That's +2s extra for Murphy at Gate 11... Murphy pulling too hard and losing time in the track... his current time places him at 7th out of 7 pilots that have flown.
But there's another chance for Murphy to get it spot on as he enters the track into his second run... -
As a former Red Arrows pilot, Murphy knows all about precision flying... he needs to keep it clean, keep it smooth and keep on the throttle... but Gate 6 has caught Murphy out and he's got another +2s...
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After an official DQ on Run 1, Murphy only has Run 2 to take him through to the Round of 14 tomorrow...Murphy 59.716
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France's Brageot heads into the track for his first Run of Qualifying here in Chiba. He's been lacking in pace and looking less confident over the ocean, only managing 12th and 13th places in his Free Practice sessions.
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Gate 6 strikes again as Brageot picks up a penalty in the Air Gate for Incorrect Level Flying.The wind has swung around from the NE, a different approach in the track today... could that be catching the pilots out?
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Only Kopfstein, Bolton and Ivanoff have managed two clean track runs so far today in Qualifying... but Brageot is looking tired and not on form... he's picking it up though and Brageot suddenly looking more in control as he finds some great pace in that last, hard long path to the Finish Gate. That's a great finish... it's made all the difference for the French pilot who moves up to 3rd place overall so far.
Brageot - 56.926 -
USA's Kirby Chambliss cleared into the track.
Chambliss is hugely experienced and he's known for his aggressive flying style -
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He picks up +2s through Gate 7 as he pitches and climbs, putting more pressure on the US pilot to gain back some of that time in the track. He's pulling really hard through the chicane and isn't quite finding the precision through subsequent Gates.
Chambliss - 58.502 -
Chambliss could gain a great final position in Qualifying, but it's all about CONTROL and PRECISION out over the bay today
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He's experienced and he'll have learned from that past Run, and here's a great performance unfolding from the American
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The splits are going green and he goes FULL THROTTLE with a significant margin as he finishes with 56.058, over half a second faster than McLeod. Chambliss has thrown down the gauntlet and Martin Sonka is next up to try and take the top spot from his fellow Master Class pilot.Chambliss - 56.058
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Sonka has struggled this season, with disappointment from the last two races... he's managed a best finish of 3rd in the standings in FP... he looks a little conservative out there, maybe biding his time and just trying to get through the track cleanly before he really tests himself.
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It's a 57.005 for Run 1, and Sonka is cleared into the track... but he's picked up a penalty already in Run 2 by exceeding the speed limit on the Start Gate with 201kts... this is all about precision and that penalty will push him right down the standings. So it's got to be all about putting in a great net time and using this is an opportunity to refine those lines.
Sonka looks comfortable and again, it's a learning experience. Disappointing, but not a write-off for the Czech pilot. Run 2 with the extra penalty earns him 57.218, so it's the Run 1 time that will seed Sonka.Sonka - 57.005
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The winds have been challenging... offshore, there's not a lot of turbulence... but it makes the track unpredictable.
The conditions have been steady today, I've just been playing with how much risk I want to take. Anything can happen out there... my line's not perfect... it could be good enough to compete for the win.- Pete McLeod -
Current standings with Dolderer, Muroya, Hall and Goulian still to fly:1. Chambliss
2. McLeod3. Velarde
4. Brageot
5. Kopfstein
6. Sonka
7. Bolton
8. Ivanoff
9. Le Vot
10. Murphy -
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30,000 spectators out there today, most will be waiting for local hero Muroya, up next after Dolderer... who's getting ready for his Run in Qualifying right now...
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Dolderer has a real ability to go fast and clean, and he really enjoys it... he'll be pushing hard for a great finish to earn him a strong position in the Round of 14 tomorrow.
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Dolderer looks fresh and comfortable, he goes cleanly through the track and it's a great start for the German pilot who is full of energy and will attack that second Run to take the top spot from Chambliss.
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The second run is on... the splits are green and he's looking a little off balance out there... he's opted for a Safety Climb Out (SCO)... so just Run 1 for the German pilot, and a 2nd place finish so far
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