Red Bull Air Race - Spielberg 2016
Returning for its third year to the famous Austrian race location for 2016, Spielberg takes its Red Bull Air Race hosting to new heights. The competition this year is the hottest in history with a fresh crop of new talent and seasoned racers hungry for the win! Qualifying on Saturday 23 and Race Day Sunday 24 April! Be with us for the supercharged second stop of the season!
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It's a good solid run for Astles in her first air race FP2 session, just one incorrect level flying penalty at Gate 4 but she's soon back to her lines. It's not on pace, as she comes in at 1:14.077 but there are still potentially two more runs to claw back some time. -
Astles heads straight into Run 2, she seems to be trying a new line but it's earned her +5s of penalties overall as the splits remain firmly in the red and she gains penalties at Gates 6 and 12 this time. She finishes up the run with 1:15.985.Run 3 is go... Astles makes a break but makes contact with a pylon at Gate 3 and opts for a Safety Climb Out (SCO) after just 8s in the racetrack.Astles finishes her session in 6th with a fastest time of 1:14.077
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Unofficial results for Challengers Free Practice 2:1. Ryfa (SWE) - 1:08.8442. Berger (GER) - 1:08.9273. Bolton (CHI) - 1:09.2644. Barros (BRA) - 1:10.1885. Coleman (USA) - 1:12.1236. Astles (FRA) - 1:14.077
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#beautifulday #niceview #perfectweather #summeriscoming #showtime #training #airrace #schönberghof #styria #austria #smokeon #gohannes #worldchampionship #goodtimes #enjoyeverymoment #timetogether #relax #picoftheday #instasport #instapic
by Daniel Kaufmann via Instagram 4/22/2016 1:44:30 PM -
Current conditions:
Temperature: 19.8CAir Pressure: 930.7mbarWind Speed/Direction: 8kts/E -
Awesome first runs for #Race99 as the Team sets the pace with a time of 57.113 seconds! 1st place. Good start, but long weekend ahead. Two more practice rounds today!! @cirrusaircraft @hartzellprop @boseaviation #betterneverquits #airrace #Race99 #CirrusAircraft #HartzellProp #BoseAviation #WhelenEng #flyGoodyear #Lycoming #Goulian
by Michael Goulian via Instagram 4/22/2016 1:46:16 PM -
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Just a reminder of the results from the Masters FP1 earlier today...Unofficial Masters Free Practice 1 results:1. Goulian (USA) - 57.1132. Dolderer (GER) - 57.3783. Velarde (ESP) - 57.5694. Sonka (CZE) - 58.4575. Hall (AUS) - 58.5906. Ivanoff (FRA) - 59.1127. Arch (AUT) - 59.2568. Lamb (GBR) - 59.8349. Chambliss (USA) - 1:00.37210. Kopfstein (CZE) - 1:00.73311. Le Vot (FRA) - 1:00.93112. Muroya (JPN) - 1:01.57313. McLeod (CAN) - 1:01.97814. Podlunsek (SLO) - 1:03.938
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Czech pilot Martin Sonka will head up FP2 shortly...
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With Corsair
#airrace #teamsonka #redbullby Martin Šonka via Instagram 4/22/2016 1:51:59 PM -
And Sonka heads into the racetrack to kick off FP2...
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A shaky start for the Czech... incorrect level flying at the Start Gate and +2s on the clock... but it's an otherwise clean pass and the split times aren't looking too bad at all. Seems Sonka is finding his feet (or wings) here in Spielberg.Run 1 clocks in at 59.481
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Sonka heads back around for Run 2 but he's pushing way too hard as he comes out of the chicane... he fails to get wings level for Gate 5 and it's another penalty and more time on the clock at Gate 10. With +4s on the clock Sonka finishes his Run 2 with 1:01.794Without those penalties he's posting some really competitive times. We'd be looking at 57.481 and 57.794 but sadly, the penalties have got to stick.A much better Run overall for this third sweep of the racetrack in this FP2 session... but the buzzer goes and it's an extra 1s on the clock for insufficient smoke... such a shame. Still, Run 3 is his best time so far and he starts off proceedings in FP2 with a much-improved 58.528Sonka 58.528
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Fellow Czech pilot Kopfstein blasts his way into the track for FP2...Run 1 looking nice and smooth, it's a solid performance and we're yet to see any green on the splits, but he's unable to scrub off time as he approaches the Finish Gate and Run 1 finishes up with a respectable 1:01.199Kopfstein back around for Run 2... it's another clean run but the Czech seems to be losing pace out there at finishes up with 1:03.751 despite no penalties. He could be experimenting with some lines... or maybe it's an overly cautious run.Run 3 looking good on the first split as we see some green... but it's soon back in the red and the Team Spielberg pilot is pushing back... he's sprinting to the finish and clocks in at 1:01.131Kopfstein 1:01.131
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The first training is done and lady in red is already waiting for the second one!
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Photo: Team PP37 - J. Glažar
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#spielberg #pp37 #peterpodlunsekracing #airrace #redbullring #redbullairrace #aviation #racing #training #avgeek #fly #flying #aerobatics #pilot #pilotlife #smokeon #redby Peter Podlunšek via Instagram 4/22/2016 2:04:54 PM -
Podlunsek looking a bit more resolute out there in the racetrack this afternoon. It's a similar story though, not too much improvement from his times in the earlier session today as he finishes his Run 1 with 1:03.276, including a penalty at Gate 7
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Podlunsek looking decidedly more messy in his Run 2, incorrect level flying penalty followed up by a pylon hit and he opts for a safety climb out as the penalties stack up.But he's back in business for Run 3, maybe a little perturbed by the last run as he picks up +1s for insufficient smoke and another incorrect level penalty, finishing the run with 1:05.428Podlunsek 1:03.276
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Nigel Lamb up next. The British pilot finished in 8th in FP1 with 59.834 including a 2s penalty. in FP2, Sonka holds the fastest position so far with 59.481 (inc. 2s penalty)
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Pre-flight checks before the first test flight here at the foot of the Styrian Mountains. #airrace
by Nigel Lamb via Instagram 4/22/2016 2:14:24 PM -
Nigel Lamb heads into the Spielberg racetrack, and before he can even take his first turn in the track he's gained 3s for a pylon hit at the Start Gate! Not the start Lamb will have wanted to this second free practice.
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He finishes well over the 1m mark in his first run but it's back into the track for Run 2, and the splits look promising as he gains almost a half second advantage on Sonka.
But we're back to red and Lamb is fighting to keep on the pace... but it's a lovely clean run and he's gaining confidence in that track, finishing up with 59.581 for Run 2. Lamb has scrubbed off time from his FP1 best time and still one more run to go... -
It's green all the way into the second split time in Run 2 and Lamb is just 0.003 off Sonka's pace as he clocks in his third split time... he can't quite find the lines to pull Sonka off the top spot though and finishes with a clean, solid performance and some progress... 58.641 on the clock.Lamb 58.641
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Local hero Hannes Arch next up. Hannes came in with 7th place in FP1 and will be looking to right a couple of wrongs he's sustained here over the last couple of seasons at his home race.Doubtful that we'll see Hannes flying on the edge just yet, but we could see some quicker times and sturdy pace. Sometimes the Austrian is a difficult read and it can be all or nothing...
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Austria's homeboy Hannes is into the track for FP2 and he's looking steady, cool and collected... some beautiful flying from Arch and we're seeing green across the board. Arch really looking at home here as he finishes his first Run by knocking Sonka off the top spot with 57.813
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Arch doesn't appear to have eased off on the throttle for his second run, cruising through the track but picks up an incorrect level flying penalty at Gate 7... that's an extra +2s on what would have been an even quicker run time. 59.448 and without that penalty he'd be looking at getting very close to Goulian's winning FP1 time...No time for a third run so his Run 1 total of 57.813 places him in first.
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Velarde following Arch very quickly into the track and the Spaniard is really pushing the limits already in only his second season in the Master Class.The Spanish pilot has already smashed through the ceiling of the FP2 practice times and Hannes Arch's time on the top spot is decidedly short and swift as he's replaced by Velarde and a stellar 57.676 time in Run 1.Run 2 is clean and very confident, only a fraction off the pace and Velarde clocks in another sub-58 with 57.753He's not resting on his laurels at all and is quickly back in for a third run, and we're seeing a heck of a lot of green across the splits still... Only in the last back end of the racetrack has Velarde lost some time – just over half a second – and he storms through the Finish Gate with 58.356.Velarde 57.676, currently in first position.
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Australian pilot Matt Hall next...he finished FP1 in 5th but will surely have last season's race win in the back of his mind. Hall says he and the team are thinking of this race and this season as a marathon, not a sprint. But surely he will feel the need to sprint to another win in Austria?
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Hall gliding into the track for his first Run of FP2... it's smooth and clean with just an edge of aggression, and Hall is definitely looking confident out there as he tucks in and out of the chicanes. He's pacing himself it seems and not pushing too hard, finishing up with a solid 58.329 for Run 1 and no penalties.Another clean run looks to be on the cards as he pushes a bit harder through those Air Gates... the MXS could have the edge out here in Spielberg as Hall makes it look effortless and scrubs off time in this second run. He's through the Finish Gate and it's a more competitive 57.680... the Australian is literally snapping on the heels of Velarde...
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Hall takes his third run and once again it's penalty free, some majestic lines out there and he's definitely right on the pace and finding his form in Spielberg... the splits are green and Hall is pushing to take that top spot from the Spaniard... and he does!
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Japan's Muroya looking to vastly improve on his 12th place finish from FP1 earlier today. He finished with a best time of 1:01.573 in the first practice session, but can't quite seem to get comfortable in the Spielberg track yet.A pylon hit at Gate 8 in his first run... far from ideal and could be a shake to his confidence... but Muroya can be super cool under pressure so it's not a write-off session just yet...
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A much better and completely clean performance for Run 2 and Muroya hasn't let that pylon hit get inside his head... he's back on the pace with 59.179 so is steadily moving his way up the timesheets out in Austria. Still plenty of time to refine those lines and be a super-competitive contender out there.Muroya 59.179
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Pete McLeod currently in the track. The Team Garmin pilot has been a little reserved this season, seems he's focusing more on refining and technique than results and points... all prep for 2017. Regardless, he's looking pretty competitive out there today and his FP2 session kicks off with a slightly aggressive performance, good and pacey although McLeod appears to be still experimenting with the perfect line as he gains a total of +4s in penalties.
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Gates 4 and 10 are posing a problem for the Canadian and he picks up just 2s for incorrect level flying at Gate 10 on his Run 2 finishing, with 1:01.857 on the clock.
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The @redbullring - ONE MAGICAL PLACE. Words don't do it justice!
#redbullring #spielberg #airrace #betterneverquits #thecirruslife
@cirrusaircraft @hartzellprop @boseaviationby Michael Goulian via Instagram 4/22/2016 3:01:05 PM -
FP1 main man Mike Goulian up next for his FP2 session...
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Goulian really back in the race for 2016 with some high-powered, supercharged performances. Kick off his FP2 session, he's back on it with great pace, and seemingly gaining confidence all the while. But the buzzer goes at Gate 6 and Goulian has picked up extra baggage that he can't shake as he heads to the Finish Gate.
It's 59.718 for his Run 1 FP2 time, but without that penalty he's still looking red hot.Run 2 is cleaner and more comfortable until Goulian wobbles off his lines at Gate 9 and clips a pylon. The US pilot has opted for a Safety Climb Out (SCO) and quickly brings his FP2 session to a close.
Goulian 59.718, which earns him 7th place currently. -
Fresh plugs and an oil change for the race plane! @redbullairrace @skydivepuebla @xtremoparque
by Kirby Chambliss via Instagram 4/22/2016 3:05:27 PM -
Edge 540 pilot Kirby Chambliss just waiting to come into the track.
