Slalom at the Golden Horn

Will it be one of the three front-runners who again takes the victory at the fourth race of the Red Bull Air Race World Series? Or can one of the outsiders exploit unfamiliar territory in Istanbul - new course, new obstacles?

After a two-month break, the Red Bull Air Race World Series takes to the skies again next Saturday: it's the first time that Istanbul will play host to the Formula 1 of the sky. As in the first two races of the season in Abu Dhabi and Barcelona, the pilots will be flying over water: the race course stretches over the Golden Horn and pilots will have to pass between the old Galata Bridge (Eski Galata Köprüsü) and the Unkapani Bridge (Unkapanı Köprüsü). The long estuary which divides European Istanbul is just 400 metres wide at this point, so the course is narrow out of necessity. As if this weren't a great enough challenge, the pilots will also have to negotiate single pylons - used for the first time in Istanbul - in addition to the familiar air gates. The single pylons form a rapid slalom section, so not only will the pilots be flying on unfamiliar territory, they will also have to perform new manoeuvres.

Three-way battle at the top

Things at the top of the World Series have never been as close as they are now. Kirby Chambliss from the USA heads the leader board, having won both races in Abu Dhabi and Berlin and scored 16 points. Hungary's Peter Besenyei won the race in Barcelona and lies in second place with a one point deficit to the leader. Just one point behind in third place lies the winner of last year's World Series, Mike Mangold of the USA. There is a respectable gap to the rest of the field after three races: Germany's Klaus Schrodt lies a good eight points behind Mike Mangold in fourth place.

Self-confidence Chambliss-style

Chambliss, Besenyei or Mangold? Or a victory by one of the outsiders? Full of self-confidence on the back of his victory in the last race in Berlin, leader Kirby Chambliss is in no doubt who will win the Air Race in Istanbul. Asked what he was most looking forward to in Istanbul, the American answered: "I'm looking forward to winning! My engineers have been able to solve a drive problem and I believe I'll be very fast in Istanbul."