Czech pilot Sonka takes back-to-back wins with Kazan triumph posted: 27/08/2018
Perfect weather and 128,000 spectators greeted the Red Bull Air Race return to Kazan, Russia on 25-26 August, where Martin Sonka captured his second race victory in a row. In second place, the USA's Michael Goulian regained the top of the overall leaderboard, while fellow American Kirby Chambliss repeated on the Kazan podium, this time in third.
The 2017 overall runner-up Sonka came into Kazan on a high after claiming his first race win of the 2018 season in Budapest, yet struggled to find the best lines in the Russian racetrack and finished 12th in Qualifying. But in Sunday's race the Czech star was on rails, clocking the fastest time in the opening Round of 14 and doing the same in the Round of 8. The Final 4 piled on the pressure, as Chambliss and Goulian - who were first and third in Kazan in 2017 - as well as Spain's Juan Velarde all logged times under 53 seconds. It was all up to Sonka, and split times were neck-and-neck, but in the end Sonka pulled off 52.123s, outpacing Goulian by just 0.115s for the win and a jump up the overall leaderboard.
The day was not so happy for defending World Champion Yoshihide Muroya of Japan, or for the man who had arrived in Kazan at the top of the overall standings, Australia's Matt Hall, as both ended their day in the Round of 8 due to penalties. The Russian result boosts Goulian, the most consistent pilot of the season with four race podiums and five Final 4 appearances, back to the top with 55 points, while Sonka and Hall are now tied for second in the points at 49. French standout Mika Brageot and Muroya managed to hold tight in the fourth and fifth positions, respectively, but have seen the points gap to the leaders widen.
This was definitely one of the most difficult races we have ever experienced because we were struggling with everything here. Nothing was working for us, so it was a great team effort to put it together today. All the work that went behind this result makes it even better, said Sonka. For me personally, I'm not thinking about the season itself. Now we can start to think about the next race in Wiener Neustadt, and that's another task in front of us. We have to be focused.
Next, the Red Bull Air Race goes back to its roots with the first Austrian stop since 2016. The showdown at Wiener Neustadt will also mark the last race in Europe before the World Championship moves to the United States for the final two stops of the season.
Martin Sonka (CZE) (C), Michael Goulian (USA) (L), Kirby Chambliss (USA) (R)
Results Master Class, Kazan 2018: 1. Martin Sonka (CZE), 2. Michael Goulian (USA), 3. Kirby Chambliss (USA), 4. Juan Velarde (ESP), 5. Ben Murphy (GBR), 6. Fran ois Le Vot (FRA), 7. Matt Hall (AUS), 8. Yoshihide Muroya (JPN), 9. Petr Kopfstein (CZE), 10. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA), 11. Pete McLeod (CAN), 12. Mika Brageot (FRA), 13. Matthias Dolderer (GER), 14. Cristian Bolton (CHI)
World Championship standings after five races:1. Michael Goulian (USA) 55 points, 2. Martin Sonka (CZE) 49 pts, 3. Matt Hall (AUS) 49 pts, 4. Mika Brageot (FRA) 27 pts, 5. Yoshihide Muroya (JPN) 22 pts, 6. Fran ois Le Vot (FRA) 20 pts, 7. Kirby Chambliss (USA) 19 pts, 8. Juan Velarde (ESP) 16 pts, 9. Matthias Dolderer (GER) 15 pts, 10. Ben Murphy (GBR) 15 pts, 11. Pete McLeod (CAN) 11 pts, 12. Petr Kopfstein (CZE) 10 pts, 13. Cristian Bolton (CHI) 6 pts, 14. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA) 6 pts
RED BULL AIR RACE 2018 CALENDAR
2-3 February: Abu Dhabi, UAE
20-22 April: Cannes, France
26-27 May: Chiba, Japan
23-24 June: Budapest, Hungary
25-26 August: Kazan, Russia
15-16 September: Wiener Neustadt, Austria
6-7 October: Indianapolis, USA
17-18 November: Fort Worth, USA
ABOUT RED BULL AIR RACE
Created in 2003, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship has held more than 80 races around the globe. The Red Bull Air Race World Championship features the world's best race pilots in a pure motorsport competition that combines speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile, lightweight racing planes, pilots hit speeds of 370 km/h while enduring forces of up to 12G as they navigate a low-level slalom track marked by 25-meter-high, air-filled pylons. In 2014, the Challenger Cup was conceived to help the next generation of pilots develop the skills needed for potential advancement to the Master Class that vies for the World Championship.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Czech pilot Sonka takes back-to-back wins with Kazan triumph posted: 27/08/2018 
