Red Bull Air Race 2010 in Abu Dhabi1 comment

Pakistani model / actress Mehreen Raheel, and singer Amanat Ali, added some glamour to the proceedings at the Red Bull Air Race in Abu Dhabi on the 26th and 27th of March 2010. It is for the first time that Pakistani celebrities were invited to this massive global motorsports event. Media, celebrities, and pilots from the around the world, as well as people from across the UAE, were present at the open-to-all show. The extreme heatwave did not deter the pilots from flying, or the crowd from turning up.

To add further spice to the event, Mehreen was strapped into a small aeroplane with Media Pilot Sergio Pla who took her on a rollercoaster ride through the blue skies, taking off from the Race Airport at Port Zayed, and landing in the same spot following a 15 minute performance, featuring hair-raising air stunts.

“It was breathtaking, exhilarating and fantastic – all three things at the same time!” exclaimed the petite actress once her feet were firmly back on the ground. Amanat, also present at the Media Flight, was exhilarated just by having witnessed the entire spectacle.

THE RACE

The event itself was an intense competition between leading pilots of the world. In the end was a hard-fought victory in scorching heat by defending champion Paul Bonhomme of Britain. He finished just ahead of compatriot Nigel Lamb (2nd) and Hungary’s Peter Besenyei (3rd) in an action-packed battle over the greenish-blue waters of the Arabian Gulf.

With temperatures rising above 40 degrees and the strong desert winds suddenly shifting direction just hours before the race, the 2010 season opener turned into one of the most spectacular races in the six-year history of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.

“It’s fascinating what we’ve seen today”, said Bonhomme on the day of the race. “The wind changed direction and it sorts everyone out. The temperature was also a factor. To keep your concentration up in these conditions is quite a task. I don’t think it’s a coincidence (that only veterans were on the podium). Experience helps on days like today. You have to keep an eye on what happens and play the tactics just right.”

The next stop of the 8-race season takes place in Perth, Western Australia on April 17/18.

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