Red Bull Air Race returns to the record-setting crowds of Chiba, Japan

Motorsport fans who couldn’t get enough of the Red Bull Air Race when it made its debut in Chiba, Japan last year will get another chance to see the action, as the World Championship series returns on 4/5 June, 2016.

Tickets are sure to go fast: last year, a record 120,000 spectators sold out both days in advance. The 2016 stop promises to be more unpredictable than ever, and will again feature Japan’s own Yoshihide “Yoshi” Muroya, who is expected to be in the thick of the battle for a win after earning two podiums in the final four races of 2015.

While the Red Bull Air Race was popular with the Japanese public, the city of Chiba was equally popular with the 14 Master Class pilots. Just over an hour from the national capital of Tokyo, Chiba is perched on the edge of Tokyo Bay. There, the 25-meter-high Air Gates are erected to create a challenging racetrack over water that the pilots navigate at speeds of up to 370 kmh while enduring up to 10 Gs. When the pilots aren’t in the sky, Muroya likes to show them some of Chiba’s highlights, which last year included a ceremony at an 800-year-old shrine.

“I have been working to grow sky sports activity in Japan for more than 20 years, and the race in Chiba last year changed things dramatically,” Muroya declares. “It was such an exciting situation with an unbelievable number of spectators, especially given how relatively small the aviation world is in Japan. I think Chiba is definitely one of the highlights of the season.”

“All the pilots enjoyed Japan a lot. They have great respect for cultures different from their own Western way of life, and I was very proud to introduce them to my country,” says Muroya, who had been keen to bring the Red Bull Air Race to Japan ever since he joined the World Championship series in 2009.

The stop in Chiba will be the third of eight in the 2016 season, which also features a return to Germany after a six-year absence, as well as the first-ever stop at the most famous city in motor racing, Indianapolis, USA. With 2015 World Champion Paul Bonhomme now retired, and an international lineup of pilots battling to win the next title, this could be anybody’s year.

Don’t miss out: Tickets for many races of the 2016 season of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship are on sale. Chiba will go on sale on the 29th January with hospitality first and then general admission to follow. For more information on tickets and all the latest, visit www.redbullairrace.com

FAI and Red Bull Air Race

FAI and Red Bull Air Race World Championship signed an agreement including the provision of FAI medals especially designed for the Red Bull Air Race, the inclusion of all races in the FAI Events Calendar, and the official approval by the FAI of the race Rules & Regulations. Furthermore, the FAI provides a delegate who attends all events to supervise safety aspects.