Takes Back Lead In World Series

Paul Bonhomme’s superior flying performance landed him the top standing in the 2007 Red Bull Air Race World Series’ pivotal, penultimate stop in San Diego’s Embarcadero Bay. Over 50,000 spectators around the San Diego Bay watched the British pilot celebrate his 43rd birthday today with a winning finishing time of 1:23.80.

Bonhomme, from Cambridgeshire, beat American pilot Kirby Chambliss in the final round and wrestled back the lead in the World Series standings from Chambliss's fellow countryman Mike Mangold, completing a double blow for the US pilots on home soil. Bonhomme collects six points and goes into the final race of the season on 4th November in Perth, Australia leading Mangold by 2 points.

Chambliss took second spot and Nigel Lamb, also from Britain, took his first ever podium place, coming in third.

“If someone had come up to me a week ago and offered me a win here with Mike back in fifth, I would have snatched it with both hands,” said Bonhomme.

“I’m chuffed. I’m in a much better position now than I had been. I had been hoping to go to Perth not being any points behind.”

“I felt relaxed. It was the last race of the day and I went for it. I was concentrating hard and looking at all the tactics that the other people have been using and it paid off. I was analysing everything all day, just looking at what everyone’s been up to and what I’ve been up to and it paid off on the last run.”

Even though it supposedly “never rains in Southern California”, a series of heavy showers in the hours before the race and powerful winds off the Pacific Ocean all day made the difficult course over the bay even more treacherous.

The southwestern port of San Diego more than lived up to its reputation as America’s “finest city". Its breathtaking backdrop in front of the waterfront skyline and alongside U.S. Navy battleships in the bay has been one of the most spectacular this season.

The Red Bull Air Race pilots fly through a slalom course of inflated Air Gates just metres above the surface at speeds of up to 250 mph and endure forces of up to 10G. Last year more than six million spectators attended the eight races of the championship.

Red Bull Air Race San Diego results:

1. Paul Bonhomme, GBR, Team Matador, 1:23.80 minutes
2. Kirby Chambliss, USA, Team Red Bull, +1,11 seconds
3. Nigel Lamb, GBR, Team Breitling, +4,23 seconds

FMI: www.redbullairrace.com