Get ready London – Seat and Red Bull Air Race are coming

London is bracing itself for one of most spectacular sports on the planet – the Red Bull Air Race – and SEAT will be there for the ride! The thrilling event will take place over the River Thames, with The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome) forming a dramatic back drop. It is the first time the event has been held at this location.

SEAT is the proud Official Global Partner for the Red Bull Air Race, which takes place in London on the 28th and 29th July. The Air Race is a huge draw for crowds, with 50,000 people expected to line the banks of the Thames over the course of the weekend. They will be cheering on a dozen of the world’s best pilots, as they pit their wits against each other in a contest based on speed, precision and skill.

With three British pilots battling it out on home ground and one of them, Paul Bonhomme, currently leading the series, the atmosphere is going to be electric and the competition fierce.

SEAT will be making the most of the vibrant atmosphere with a heavy brand presence. This includes a special Leon Cupra ‘follow-me’ car, which will kick off race proceedings by leading the planes in and out of the airstrip. In addition, the SEAT logo will be seen on everything from the pilot’s race suits to the huge ‘Air Gates’ and, of course, the planes.

With a large audience on the ground and many more catching the coverage on television, the Red Bull Air Race creates a fantastic platform for SEAT to further raise brand awareness. In terms of the Spanish manufacturer’s brand values of Sporty, Lively and Design-driven, the Red Bull Air Race is as perfect a fit as the British and World Touring Car Championships, in which SEAT is already involved. It very much captures the exciting feel of SEAT and its cars – which is why the co-operation with Red Bull Air Race has been signed for the next three years.

Last year’s eight races drew a total on-location audience of six million. With 11 races in this year’s series, spectator numbers are expected to be higher still.

The Red Bull Air Race features a dynamic new discipline of flying, called ‘air racing’, where the objective is to navigate a challenging race course in the sky, in the fastest possible time. Flying individually against the clock, the pilots have to execute tight turns through a slalom course consisting of specially designed pylons, known as ‘Air Gates’.

The Air Race is not just about speed – precision is crucial to success, because any mistakes incur penalty points which are then added to the pilot’s time. Flying low to the ground at speeds that can reach almost 250 mph, while attempting difficult turning manoeuvres, requires immense skill that only a certain number of pilots in the world possess. That is why the pilots are hand-selected based upon their expertise and experience. These pilots are at the top of their game. They have to be – the Air Race exerts huge demands on their flying abilities and they have to withstand forces of up to 10G.

What makes the Air Race so exciting and interesting for spectators is the proximity of the contest to the crowds. Low-level flying on a relatively compact course means that people can really experience all the action close-up.