Seat Ready For Take-Off With Red Bull Air Race

MILTON KEYNES - July 30, 2008: SEAT is once again at the heart of the action as the hi-octane, low altitude thrills of the Red Bull Air Race ‘land’ in London this weekend.

The sporty Spanish brand is once more supporting the event which has quickly become established as one of the sporting highlights of the summer. Last year, no fewer than four million spectators attended the ten races held worldwide and more than 400 million watched the events on television.

An estimated 50,000 spectators are expected to once again line the banks of the Thames this weekend as the two-day festival of precision airmanship pits some of the world’s top pilots head to head.

The Red Bull Air Race features perhaps the most dynamic civilian flying ever seen, in which the objective is to navigate a challenging circuit in the fastest possible time. Flying individually against the clock, the pilots execute tight turns through a slalom course consisting of specially designed pylons, known as ‘air gates’.

But the race is not simply about flat out speed – precision is crucial to success as mistakes incur penalty points which are added to the pilot’s time. The death-defying racing requires immense skill from each of the hand-picked pilots who will fly for much of the time at no more than 65 feet about the Thames at speeds of almost 250 mph in their 350 bhp single seater propeller-driven machines.

G-forces exceed those experienced even by a Formula One driver, while pilots are allowed to fly no more than three races a day to counteract the effects of fatigue.

After qualifying on Saturday, Sunday’s races will be broadcast live on Channel 4, starting at 4:15 pm.

CEO of the Red Bull Air Race, Bernd Loidl, enthused: ‘With SEAT we have a very strong partner that is aiding us in making the Red Bull Air Race one of the most well-known and spectacular sports events in the world.

‘SEAT is taking this partnership very seriously and we thoroughly enjoy driving the cars during the events.’

SEAT President Erich Schmitt said: ‘The Red Bull Air Race fits perfectly with our aim to raise awareness about SEAT in our target groups. It’s in line with our ongoing commitment in the World Touring Car Championship.’