Yoshihide Muroya was the winner of the Red Bull Air Race in Abu Dhabi on Saturday by just 0.003 seconds. The Japanese racer, who was the 2017 champion in the series, prevailed in the opening round of the 2019 season by a narrow margin. He triumphed ahead of defending world champion Martin Sonka as large crowds on the Corniche in the capital watched on. “It’s important to win to maximise the points, and our flights were very consistent from Free Practice 1 to the Final 4, so we’re really happy about that," Muroya told Red Bull's website. "The wind had shifted 180 degrees, so it was very, very difficult to get through Gate 7 today. I think maybe everyone was struggling there.” Third place went to Michael Goulian with Nicolas Ivanoff, who had been on the pace all weekend, had to settle for fourth spot after his engine failed to start for the final. The championship now heads to Europe for its next round, although a date and location for the event are yet to be confirmed.
