The Red Bull Air Race World Championship will return to a famous racing destination in Germany after several years’ absence and make a stateside stop at a locale renowned for motorsports during the air race’s 2016 schedule of eight events in seven countries.
A race will take place at the Lausitzring, near Klettwitz, Germany, in September, for the first time since 2010. In October, the race’s ninth season heads to Indianapolis, home of the Indianapolis 500—one of the three components of motor racing’s Triple Crown, the Red Bull Air Race said in a news release.
“We look forward to bringing the race closer to even more fans in 2016, and it will be a privilege to share our sport at two more locations that are rich with motorsport history,” said Erich Wolf, general manager of Red Bull Air Race GmbH. “The pilots and teams are already hard at work on technical innovations and strategic plans, and the races at all eight stops promise to be faster and more competitive than ever. The year ahead should be thrilling for spectators and competitors alike.”
The race season will begin on March 11 and 12 with the traditional season opener over the Arabian Gulf in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, marking the ninth consecutive opening there.
The next stop will be Spielberg, Austria, on April 23 and 24. Spielberg is “one of the highlight venues in the Formula One calendar,” the announcement said.
The high-speed, low-altitude Red Bull Air Races will then return to Japan, where sellout crowds witnessed a debut of the Red Bull Air Races in 2015. The location and race dates are pending confirmation.
The championship moves along to Budapest, Hungary, July 16 and 17, “where the racetrack’s 25-meter-high pylons are set up in the heart of the city, contrasting with the stunning backdrop of the Parliament Building.” Budapest has been the site of seven past races.
Ascot, England, will be the race venue on Aug. 13 and 14; its renowned horse-racing track “has proven to be one of the all-time favorite stops in the history of the sport,” the announcement said.
The series makes its “breathlessly anticipated return to the Lausitzring” on Sept. 3 and 4 for the first time since 2010—where fans can “cheer local Master Class pilot Matthias Dolderer.”
The season’s final two races will be in North America, starting with the Red Bull Air Races premiere Oct. 1 and 2 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, “a sport-loving city in the country’s heartland where motorsport is king.”
“The Speedway will also be celebrating 100 years of aviation events, as the first race held at IMS was also the first national balloon race, in 1909, the same year the world’s first air race took place in Reims, France,” Red Bull said.
Las Vegas will host the season finale Oct. 15 and 16, and the new world champion will be crowned at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
In October 2015, Paul Bonhomme of Great Britain was crowned world champion in Las Vegas for the third time. He announced his retirement from the sport after his unprecedented accomplishment.
Tickets for the 2016 season of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship are available through selected outlets. For more information on tickets or the latest information, visit the Red Bull Air Race World Championship website.
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