Red Bull Air Race returns to Porto and gathers over 850 thousand people in two days

The numbers are stunning: Sunday alone, more than 600 thousand people watched the Porto race on the riverside of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship. 

Eight years after the last race held in the city of Porto, the Red Bull Air Race returns to the Invicta, where more than 850 thousand spectators (number of people in two days) wanted to see first-hand the air aces and the pilots were not found wanting. 

Despite the coastal mist, the sunny Porto sky was clear and shinning, providing both pilots and spectators an air show to remember.

The spectacular race circuit, designed between the Arrábida and Luiz I Bridges, was the perfect scenario for the intense competition between Kirby Chambliss and Martin Sonka and this decisive leg changed the championship's leadership.

The North American lost leadership to Czech Martin Sonka. Excellent performances, as well, by Canadian pilot Pete McLeod (runner-up) and Australian Matt Hall (third place).

In the Challenger class, meant to pilots who aspire competing in the Master Class, the North American Kevin Coleman was a surprise, outrunning the favourite Florian Bergér, while the French pilot Mélanie Astles, the only woman racing in the Red Bull Air Race, ranked last position in Porto.

Saturday and Sunday were also days for the special side acts with the spectacular and majestic Douglas DC-6B from Red Bull's private collection, also an Airbus A330 from TAP and the always impressive fighter jets F-16 from da Portuguese Air Force.

Noteworthy the reduced number of incidents and occurrences, with the majority of the situations that needed rescue deriving from sunstrokes and falls.