ABU DHABI, 9 April 2008 — The first round of the Red Bull Air Race World Series 2008 will be held in Abu Dhabi for the fourth consecutive year from April 10-11. Being staged with the support of Sheikh Hazza ibn Zayed Al Nahyan and in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, the series kick-starts at Abu Dhabi Corniche. In addition to the air race, the organizing committee has also prepared a festival starting from April 7-9.
The festival begins three days before the qualifying and four days before the race day, gathering different attractions for all fans, including a jazz concert, band and dance shows, stunt bike and BMX Street shows and sand sculpture by artists.
On April 8, there will be a race between a Ford WRC and a Formula 1 Red Bull car. Sponsored by the government of Abu Dhabi, the Ford WRC is driven by the UAE rally driver Sheikh Khaled Al-Qassimi
In addition to the Red Bull Air Race champion in 2007, 11 more pilots will join him in Abu Dhabi, ready and determined to win, all aiming at ranking top points in the kick-off round of the World Series on April 10 and 11.
Before race day, a qualifying session will be held to determine the ‘Super-Eights’, while the pilot in ninth position gets one point. The race consists of flying sessions — training, qualifying, point one, super eights, semifinals, 3rd Place fly-off and the final. In all sessions, only one pilot races on the track at a time.
The winner of each round of World Series will score 9 points while the second receives 8 points, and the third 7 points.
The point system work downwards, with the positions reaching the 9th with only 1 point. Red Bull Air Race World Series Champion is the pilot with the biggest score at the end of the season in 2008.
The second round will follow in San Diego from May 3-4 and the third in Detroit, May 31-June 1, both in the United States.
