Red Bull Air Race 2017 World Champion Yoshihide Muroya challenges the 2019 season!
Yoshihide Muroya (46 years old) was the first Asian to win the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in 2017. It was last season that he was expected to win the championship for the second time in a row, but he was forced to struggle to improve the aircraft and finished in 5th place overall. How will Muroya fight for the 2019 season starting February 8th? (Image: Joerg Mitter / Red Bull Content Pool)
Hidemi Sakuma
|
2019/02/07
((C) Keisuke Kato / Red Bull Japan)
--The 2018 season that didn't go well
The final race of 2017. Muroya set a miraculous time in the final four race and won his first annual championship. It was the 2018 season, which took two consecutive victories, but Muroya could not participate in the race for the championship and finished in 5th place.
（Samo Vidic/Red Bull Content Pool）
-2018 Yoshihide Muroya's battle record-
Round 1 (Abu Dhabi / UAE) 2nd place
Round 2 (Cannes France) 4th
Round 3 (Chiba / Japan) 14th
Round 4 (Budapest Hungary) 11th
Round 5 (Kazan Russia) 8th
Round 6 (Wiener Neustadt Austria) 2nd place
Round 7 (Indianapolis USA) 12th
Round 8 (Fort Worth America) 8th
（Balazs Gardi/Red Bull Content Pool）
"I was 6th overall in 2016 and won in 2017. I was 5th overall last season, but it's not a pessimistic result. I had a lot of troubles such as DNF (disqualification), but it was the second in the past. I don't think it was a bad season because it's a good result. "
Muroya finished second in the opening round of the 2018 season (Abu Dhabi), showing an unprecedented start. In the second round (Cannes) that followed, he was supposed to be in fourth place and enter the third round (Chiba) in good condition. However, when the vertical stabilizer of the aircraft was made smaller and lighter to face the race, he struggled hard and sank to the bottom, saying, "The lighter weight reduced the air resistance and made it extremely difficult to maneuver."
（Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull Content Pool）
After that, the gears continued to go crazy, and in the 6th round (Wiener Neustadt), when trying to rebuild, he climbed to 2nd place. However, it was already late. Muroya, who dropped out of the race for victory, finished the season in 5th place overall.
((C) Keisuke Kato / Red Bull Japan)
--- Enthusiasm for the 2019 season
The world's top pilots, who have won fierce battles, will raise the level of their aircraft and maneuvering skills to compete in the 2019 season.
In order for Muroya to become the champion again, he is raising a sense of crisis that he must continue research and development as a team and evolve, but he is very positive.
（Balazs Gardi/Red Bull Content Pool）
The vertical stabilizer, which failed in the match against Chiba, is still under test, and it is assumed that it will be used if various conditions are met.
（Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool）
The winglets and engine introduced in the latter half of last year are in good condition and will be used as they are this season.
Ball Bonhomme is the only Red Bull Air Race champion to win the championship for the second year in a row. 2018 was a season in which it was extremely difficult to stay at the top of the world, but he was confident that he could see how to make a way to reach the top again.
The 2019 Red Bull Air Race will begin on February 8th in Abu Dhabi. I'm ready for the race and it seems that I can calm down on the flight.
((C) Keisuke Kato / Red Bull Japan)
"In the 2019 season, I'm going to fight quietly on the table (laughs). We are proceeding with various research and development with the concept of" strong in plainness. " I want to do my best as a team so that I can do it. "
（Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool）
Red Bull Air Race continues to evolve year by year. I would like Muroya to push forward as much as he can toward the greatest goal of "the world's best maneuvering technology". (End)
((C) Keisuke Kato / Red Bull Japan)
レッドブルエアレース 2019
https://airrace.redbull.com/ja
Round 2 (Cannes France) 4th
Round 3 (Chiba / Japan) 14th
Round 4 (Budapest Hungary) 11th
Round 5 (Kazan Russia) 8th
Round 6 (Wiener Neustadt Austria) 2nd place
Round 7 (Indianapolis USA) 12th
Round 8 (Fort Worth America) 8th
（Balazs Gardi/Red Bull Content Pool）
"I was 6th overall in 2016 and won in 2017. I was 5th overall last season, but it's not a pessimistic result. I had a lot of troubles such as DNF (disqualification), but it was the second in the past. I don't think it was a bad season because it's a good result. "
Muroya finished second in the opening round of the 2018 season (Abu Dhabi), showing an unprecedented start. In the second round (Cannes) that followed, he was supposed to be in fourth place and enter the third round (Chiba) in good condition. However, when the vertical stabilizer of the aircraft was made smaller and lighter to face the race, he struggled hard and sank to the bottom, saying, "The lighter weight reduced the air resistance and made it extremely difficult to maneuver."
（Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull Content Pool）
After that, the gears continued to go crazy, and in the 6th round (Wiener Neustadt), when trying to rebuild, he climbed to 2nd place. However, it was already late. Muroya, who dropped out of the race for victory, finished the season in 5th place overall.
((C) Keisuke Kato / Red Bull Japan)
--- Enthusiasm for the 2019 season
The world's top pilots, who have won fierce battles, will raise the level of their aircraft and maneuvering skills to compete in the 2019 season.
In order for Muroya to become the champion again, he is raising a sense of crisis that he must continue research and development as a team and evolve, but he is very positive.
（Balazs Gardi/Red Bull Content Pool）
The vertical stabilizer, which failed in the match against Chiba, is still under test, and it is assumed that it will be used if various conditions are met.
（Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool）
The winglets and engine introduced in the latter half of last year are in good condition and will be used as they are this season.
Ball Bonhomme is the only Red Bull Air Race champion to win the championship for the second year in a row. 2018 was a season in which it was extremely difficult to stay at the top of the world, but he was confident that he could see how to make a way to reach the top again.
The 2019 Red Bull Air Race will begin on February 8th in Abu Dhabi. I'm ready for the race and it seems that I can calm down on the flight.
((C) Keisuke Kato / Red Bull Japan)
"In the 2019 season, I'm going to fight quietly on the table (laughs). We are proceeding with various research and development with the concept of" strong in plainness. " I want to do my best as a team so that I can do it. "
（Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool）
Red Bull Air Race continues to evolve year by year. I would like Muroya to push forward as much as he can toward the greatest goal of "the world's best maneuvering technology". (End)
((C) Keisuke Kato / Red Bull Japan)
レッドブルエアレース 2019
https://airrace.redbull.com/ja
