Budapest Would Be The Place To Be This Weekend For The Halfway Point Of The Red Bull Air Race Season

We decided to check in on the Red Bull Air Race website to see how they are handicapping the upcoming race in Budapest. According to the Red Bull website, the 2016 World Championship season has been a roller coaster so far. There have been three different winners in three races. And only one pilot has been on the podium twice.

Red Bull says anything can happen in Budapest, and they provided an outline for the pilots that have been leading the charge so far this season. Here’s how red bull calls it:

Matthias Dolderer
German pilot Dolderer is leading the Championship. He claimed his first career win in Spielberg after a second place finish at the season opener in Abu Dhabi. He was disappointed with his final result in Chiba and hopes to make amends in Budapest. Last year he lost out in the Round of 8 to Paul Bonhomme – but we're seeing a very motivated Dolderer this year so you wouldn't bet against him.

Yoshihide Muroya
Muroya had been saying for a long time that he and his team had what it takes to win, and they proved that in Chiba. Muroya will be hoping that he can keep his momentum and collect a back-to-back win in Budapest.

Hannes Arch
Arch is the only competing pilot to have won two races in the Hungarian capital. His first career win was in Budapest in 2008 and he also won the 2015 title. The Austrian pilot sees Budapest as 'his race' and he will want to become the first pilot to take three race wins.

Martin Sonka
2015 saw Martin Sonka's first race in Budapest. But even the prospect of flying under the Chain Bridge for the first time didn't daunt him. He took third place. He will be arriving in Budapest this year after a second place finish in Chiba and will be pumped for this race. Lots of Sonka's fans will be lining the Danube to cheer him on; it could inspire him to achieve his first win.

Nigel Lamb
Lamb has been in the Final 4 at the last two races of this season. He seems close to his 2014 form that saw him take the World Championship. Could Budapest be the place he stands on top of the podium again?

Nicolas Ivanoff
Despite only competing in two rounds so far (he didn't fly in Chiba due to illness), Ivanoff is sitting third in the World Championship standings showing that he is in great form. Since his win in Abu Dhabi his race plane has undergone huge modifications, so he could be back on top in Budapest.

Kirby Chambliss
Probably one of the most competitive pilots in the championship, Chambliss will be looking to improve on his third place finish in Chiba. The American pilot has been consistent this year and it sees him sitting second in the standings. He's been champion twice, and he wants that third title to his name.

François Le Vot
Le Vot finished third in Abu Dhabi, but since then he hasn't had the run of luck he would like. His flying has been impeccable and fault-free, but he openly admits that his race plane is losing speed on his fellow competitors. His team haven't been able to work on his race plane so it seems unlikely that he'll reach the podium in Budapest – but he has done it once before, so he can do it again.

(Images from file)

FMI: www.redbullairrace.com/en_US