Paul Bonhomme Crowned Red Bull Air Race World Champion

Paul Bonhomme Crowned Red Bull Air Race World Champion

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05 October,2009 08:27 pm

Britain's Paul Bonhomme won the 2009 Red Bull Air Race World Championship with a quick time set under pressure. Bonhomme beat the time of Nigel Lamb by 0.97 seconds to win the Barcelona round of the competition and take the title with 67 championship points. Last year's champion Hannes Arch was his nearest rival, ending the Barcelona race in fourth place and amassing 60 points. A crowd estimated at 800,000 by organisers watched the show from the beaches around Barcelona as the aircraft darted at high speed through a course defined by huge inflatable pylons. Lamb set a time of one minute 23.84 for the course. Bonhomme completed his run and was then informed by radio he had set a time of one minute 22.87 to take the win and championship. For Bonhomme the title win was especially welcome as he came second in both the 2007 and 2008 season. This year he has taken three wins and three second places on his way to becoming champion. Germany's Matthias Dolderer took third, his first podium place.