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Abu Dhabi - Making the season more interesting are new pilots, plane innovations and renewed rivalries at the Red Bull Air Race World Championship

Everyone fasten your seatbelts. Red Bull Air Race World Championship is back to mesmerise all with some breathtaking aerial action on Friday and Saturday. 
The Abu Dhabi Sports Council is hosting the season opener of the 11th edition. And over the years, the annual event has become a showpiece which attracts tourists to Abu Dhabi.
Mubarak Al Ameri, adviser at the ADSC, sees the event is boosting tourism in the Capital. Last year, he said, there were more than 40,000 spectators. More than 9,570 non-Abu Dhabi residents came to the Capital to watch the race. Some 1,008 international tourists spent average four-and-a-half nights, while 8,564 other UAE visitors travelled to Abu Dhabi specifically to watch the race.
Talking about how Abu Dhabi edition is special, he said: "Whereas most Red Bull Air Race stops around the globe are ticketed, Abu Dhabi has opted for an inclusive approach to bring a festive atmosphere to Corniche."
Apart from action in the skies, there is Jet Pack Man, the UAE qualifier of Red Bull Car Park Drift and the Abu Dhabi qualifier of the national five-a-side football championship - Neymar Jr's Five. "The corniche will truly come to life over the weekend," Al Ameri said.
Red Bull Air Race general manager Erich Wolf is confident of a successful season opener. 
"Since bringing the Red Bull Air Race World Championship to Abu Dhabi in 2005, the city's appreciative motorsport fans have come out in droves to see the race year after year. I think we'll be treated to phenomenal advances in technology and skill, and there's nowhere that appreciates progression more than Abu Dhabi, with its strong motorsport heritage. It's the perfect place to begin our second decade of World Championship action."
Making the season more interesting are new pilots, plane innovations and renewed rivalries.
2017 World Champion in Master Class Yoshihide Muroya and Abu Dhabi winner and season runner-up Martin Sonka took to skies on Thursday to discover Abu Dhabi's best destinations. The pair flew over Louvre Abu Dhabi, mangroves of Ramhan Island and Midfield Terminal under construction at the Abu Dhabi International Airport. 
This year, Muroya aims to be only the second pilot after Paul Bonhomme to retain the title.
"This is a new season with a new aircraft and a new team. It doesn't matter that I got the World Championship title last year, this is a new season and we want to do it again," Team Falken pilot said.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi defending champion Sonka is eagerly looking forward to the weekend. 
"It's great to be back here but this year is a different story and we're starting from the very beginning. This year there are different pilots, different teams, different planes and big modifications, but of course we'll do our best to get a good result," Red Bull Team Sonka pilot said.
There are the Master Class and Challenger Class categories and some 10 contenders will be flying Edge 540 V2 new plane. Also, there's change in penalty for exceeding the G-force limit, which enables pilots to continue racing with a time penalty.
Overall there are 15 gates over two laps and there is a double gate on Gate 6, which along with all the changes have spiced up things at Abu Dhabi edition. And building up the crescendo, some 24 pilots have been practising over the corniche for the past few days.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com