Red Bull Air Race World Championship

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The World Championship Air Race is a series of air races sanctioned by the World Air Sports Federation (FAI). Originally established in 2003 as the Red Bull Air Race, and created by Red Bull GmbH, the event involves competitors navigating a challenging obstacle course in the fastest time. Pilots fly individually against the clock and have to complete tight turns through a slalom course consisting of pylons, known as "air gates".

The races are held mainly over water near cities, but are also held at airfields or natural wonders. They are accompanied by a supporting program of show flights. Races are usually flown on weekends with the first day for qualification then knockout finals the day after. The events attract large crowds and are broadcast, both live and taped, in many nations.

At each venue, the top eight places earn World Championship points. The air racer with the most points at the end of the Championship becomes Red Bull Air Race World Champion.

After a three-year hiatus for safety improvements and reorganisation, the Air Race resumed in 2014.^[1][2]

In May 2019 Red Bull announced the cancellation of the Red Bull Air Race after 2019 and the shortening of the 2019 race calendar to four races.

In February 2021, the FAI announced a new promoter will revive the FAI-sanctioned air racing series in 2022, the World Championship Air Race. World Championship Air Race intends to change race aircraft with sustainable fuels, electric drivetrains and electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) airplanes from 2024 (the third season). The contract is for fifteen years.^[3]

Alternative lighter aircraft racing events involving soft wing aircraft such as the Parabatix Sky Racers are following in the footsteps of the Red Bull air race while paving a new direction for a different kind of air race with more emphasis on ground-skimming precision flying and out-of-cockpit pilot interaction.