Austria’s Arch savours life as World Champion and prepares title defence

Life for Hannes Arch has not been quite the same since the Austrian ace won the Red Bull Air Race World Championship. The celebrations began in Perth when he clinched the title in November in only his second season on the circuit and they carried on back home half a world away from Australia to Austria, where he received a hero’s welcome at Salzburg’s Hangar 8 upon his return. The festivities for Austria’s newest national celebrity – whose heroics were widely followed in the Austrian media – continued days later when Arch was feted at a special ceremony in his Styrian hometown of Trofaiach by a crowd of some 800 children waving Austrian flags and the mayor as well as hundreds more well-wishers – an astonishing crowd for a town with a population of 8,000.

“I was really moved by the way my family, friends and fans were so happy about it all,” Arch said. “I didn’t expect any of that. But I was really pleased that everyone came out to celebrate. So many people called or sent text messages congratulating me. It was incredible. What I’m really delighted about is that the Red Bull Air Race has become such an established motor sport and climbed to such a level. The interest seems grow all the time.”

Arch said the most meaningful congratulations of all were those that he got from the other 11 sweat-soaked pilots in Perth the moment he became the first European champion in the five-year history of the World Championship. “They’re the best and fastest pilots in the world,” Arch said, explaining why he said their handshakes meant so much. “It was a great honour to accept the wholehearted congratulations from them.”

Arch, who came from behind with the first two victories of his career in the final three races to snatch the championship away from early season dominator Paul Bonhomme of Britain, said he knows the pressure has increased on him considerably now that he is the defending champion – not only because he will be the pilot everyone will be aiming to beat this year but also because an ever-growing list of obligations.

Source: www.redbullairraces.com