Red Bull Air Race World Championship pilots Kirby Chambliss, Michael Goulian and Nigel Lamb tuned up for the first race of the 2014 season in Abu Dhabi with some breathtaking Recon flight action on Wednesday in their high-performance airplanes over some of the iconic sights of the UAE capital and the sparkling turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf.

(United Arab Emirates) With Red Bull Air Race fans eagerly awaiting the return on Saturday of the world’s fastest motorsport series on Abu Dhabi’s waterfront after a three-year break, Americans Chambliss and Goulian joined their British rival Lamb for 45 minutes of high-speed maneuvers over Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, one of the world’s top Formula One race tracks, and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque – the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates.

“It’s a beautiful day for flying and it was great to see how enormous the Formula One track is,” said Goulian, who was flying within about three meters of his competitors at times during the Recon flight that generates enthusiasm for the weekend of racing that formally starts with Thursday’s training sessions. “We were so close up there that I could smell the smoke coming out of their exhaust.  “It’s great to be back here in Abu Dhabi. Everybody’s really excited. It was great to fly over the course. This isn’t practice anymore. It’s the real thing.”

Chambliss and Lamb also said they enjoyed the Recon flight ahead of the race in Abu Dhabi, which is hosting the Red Bull Air Race World Championship’s season opener for the seventh straight time. “The Formula One track looks amazing and the Grand Mosque is so spectacular,” said Lamb. “These are iconic Abu Dhabi locations and we tried to create some dynamic racing in front of them.”

Source: RedBull airraces.com