Bonhomme Eager to Widen Lead

E365 -- Paul Bonhomme is not going to let the Red Bull Air Race World Series championship lead slip out of his hands in Europe this year the way it was lost it in 2007 even though the Great Brit admits to being both frustrated and annoyed about losing to American Kirby Chambliss in the last race in Detroit.

Bonhomme finished a close second yet still managed to widen his lead at the top to five points and now has a total of 26 World Series points.  Defending champion Mike Mangold, who had trailed by three points before Detroit, only picked up six points for his fourth. Mangold, Chambliss and Austria’s Hannes Arch all have 21 points each.

"I was frustrated to have been beaten in Detroit but the 8 points were still very welcome. I was annoyed as I reckon I could have won it," said Bonhomme, who is nevertheless pleased to have won two of the first three races going into the five-race European leg that starts in Rotterdam on 19th and 20th July.

"I was hoping for a good start to the season and we’re chuffed to bits so far. Why are we doing so well? I think it’s because Wade (Hammond, his technician) did lots of hard work getting ready and disciplined flying by me.

"Last year we did extremely well in an old plane with virtually no modifications. We got very close to the championship and got a taste for an overall win," he said. "The top is a good place to be and that is what we are aiming for this year. We’re not looking for vengeance. We are trying to improve our performance."

Bonhomme also insists he takes no special pleasure in beating Mangold, the arch rival who snatched the 2007 championship away from him with a spectacular comeback to erase a two-point deficit in Perth.

Bonhomme finished a heart-breaking second last year to Mangold after he gave up the lead in Europe, grabbed it back in the penultimate race in San Diego before losing it in the final race in Perth - by fractions of a second. This season - as he dominated almost every training session and race - it seemed as if he was on a mission to avenge last season’s bitter defeat. But he insists vengeance is not on his mind.

"It makes no difference to me whether it’s Mike, Kirby, Hannes or anyone else. A win is a win whoever it is against," said Bonhomme, who won 3 of last year’s 10 races and got on the podium in 9 straight before finishing fifth in Perth. He dismisses Mangold’s fears that the series may get boring if he keeps winning.

"He’s wrong," said Bonhomme. "The competition is not over until we’re having cold beers after the race in Perth or until someone has an unbeatable lead. We are nowhere near that. We have a long way to go. And anyhow, if I did win the next two races, it wouldn’t be ‘boring’. It would be fantastic for all the British fans."

A 5-point lead could indeed evaporate with one bad race this year for two reasons: wins are worth 9 points this year (up from 6 previously) and the risks of getting hit with penalty points or even disqualification have risen considerably because of a new comprehensive TV Steward System (TVSS) and the more systematic use of instant replays to crack down on violations. "This is definitely not the time to feel comfortable."

Bonhomme has no explanation why he surrendered the lead in Europe to Mangold after a strong start last season. He says he prefers to race in Europe because the venues are closer to home and that means less time travelling. He said he would rather not to think about 2007 anymore.

"I’m not dwelling on last year’s results," he said. "I’m purely looking forward to this year. I think my flying has improved and Wade’s work on the plane is, as usual, working extremely well. We are well prepared and are looking forward to the next stage on the racing calendar."

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"Man, an animal that makes bargains."

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