BARCELONA // With his title hopes in jeopardy, the world champion Hannes Arch pulled off the fastest time in qualifying to close the gap on championship leader Paul Bonhomme and set up a nail- biting final day of the Red Bull Air Race in Barcelona.
Team Abu Dhabi's Austrian pilot, trailing Bonhomme by four points in the championship standings, was aiming to gain the one bonus point awarded to the fastest qualifier to close the gap before today's race.
But Arch, who was forced to change his engine on Friday and missed the entire day's practice, incurred a six-point penalty for clipping a gate and was left in 13th place after the first run.
Pre-race, Arch had claimed that all the pressure was on Bonhomme, but the British pilot was coolness personified as he topped the first qualifying session with a time of 1min 22.75secs.
To make matters worse for Arch, his plane was then called in for an inspection, although officials found nothing wrong with it.
Only the top 10 in qualifying are guaranteed a race slot for the final day, with the other five competing for two wild-card slots, so Arch needed to pull something out of the bag in the second session. He did, posting 1-21-06. Bonhomme could not top his first time and finished fourth. With 13 points available for first place, Arch has to realistically win today's race. Bonhomme will take the title with a third-place finish or better.
Arch was delighted. "There has been a lot of pressure on me," he said. "To get this point makes me really emotional. I can go even faster too, I was playing it safe in the second qualifying run."
@Email:twoods@thenational.ae
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
What is an FTO Designation?
FTO designations impose immigration restrictions on members of the organisation simply by virtue of their membership and triggers a criminal prohibition on knowingly providing material support or resources to the designated organisation as well as asset freezes.
It is a crime for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to or receive military-type training from or on behalf of a designated FTO.
Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances removable from, the United States.
Except as authorised by the Secretary of the Treasury, any US financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which an FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Treasury Department.
Source: US Department of State
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.