Moving the location of the course “compromises the safety and quality of the race,” according to Red Bull, and so the race originally scheduled for July 5 and 6 in Stockholm, Sweden, will not take place. The Red Bull Air Race World Series has thrilled crowds worldwide with its high-energy display of extremely precise low-altitude racing that pits each pilot’s time against the others’ as they fly through a course of inflated pylons. So far, the race has been free of any serious accidents. Pilots enter the course near redline and routinely pull close to 10 G’s while flying. Red Bull hopes to continue its safety trend but a late change to the race’s location in Stockholm prompted series officials to cancel operations there, suggesting there are some situations that persuade even the best pilots in the world not to fly. Close attention to the news release from Red Bull, which states that both safety and the “quality” of the race would be affected by the move, suggests that at least two variables led to the cancellation. But speaking for Red Bull, Bernd Loidl, CEO of the air races, said “safety is paramount for an event of this scale and we are proud of our strong safety standards and track record of 33 successful races around the world.”
Stating his regrets for the cancellation, Loidl said that Red Bull will make “every effort” to “replace” the race later in the season. The next stop on a world tour that has this year already seen races held in the San Diego and Detroit will be the Dutch city of Rotterdam, July 19 and 20. If you haven’t already seen it, feel free to watch our behind-the-scenes video with Red Bull race pilot Michael Goulian, who walked us through the 2007 race in San Diego. As always, contact Glenn Pew if you need a higher-resolution version.
