With less than a week to go before the Red Bull Air Race World Championship begins, to say that people are excited is an understatement.
Fourteen of the world’s best pilots will be battling it out over the Abu Dhabi Corniche during >the weekend of February 2 and 3.
Competing at speeds of 370km/h and overcoming forces of up to 10G, the pilots in the eight-race series make their 2018 debut in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
This year’s international contest will also see a new racing aircraft, the Edge 540 V2, and the return of the strong Great Britain team led by Ben Murphy, a former leader of the Red Arrows, the aerobatic display team of Britain’s Royal Air Force.
Competitors fly around an obstacle course, with penalties if they hit or fly outside the course marker pylons. The Red Bull series is due to end in November 2018.
Here are eight things you should know about the Air Race World Championship in Abu Dhabi: