Gqeberha’s Red Bull athlete and Air Race pilot Patrick Davidson has been crowned the Air Race X world champion after a dramatic final that took place in Osaka in Japan over the past weekend.
Air Race X is an aerial form of motorsport using the latest technologies where pilots with the world’s best flying skills compete remotely in terms of precision and time, operating race-specialised aircraft under extreme conditions of up to 400km/h top speeds and up to 12G of acceleration forces.
Flying Edge 540 aircraft on identically laid out racetracks that are set up at various locations globally, they compete trying to set the fastest lap time in the remote racing format — using precise flight data that is collected by sensors on their aircraft that are accurate to within a 3cm margin of error.
Despite being a remote competition, the intense race for 1/1000th of a second developments was made possible by Air Race X’s high-precision flight data measurement technology, with a unique algorithm that automatically assigns handicap times based on flight location and weather information.
Davidson and his team of Greg Ritz and Mark Hensman chose the Makhanda airfield as it was better suited to the low-level flying and a lot less busy and windy compared to any of the Gqeberha airfields.
The imaginary pylons that are set up on the 800m-long racecourse were simulated by using 3m x 3m white canvas sheets flat on the ground.
Team manager Ritz said: “Our small but incredible team is the driving force behind our success, where Patrick handles the plane, Mark looks after it, and I oversee logistics and operations.
“Preparation is paramount as it equips the pilot with the ability to make split-second decisions under extreme conditions.
“While the pilot executes flawlessly on race day, this performance is a result of countless hours of preparation from the entire team and support crew.
“We meticulously rehearse the track on the ground, fine-tune the aircraft for peak performance, and meticulously plan every approach, considering weather and potential risks.
“Ultimately, our collective commitment and dedication paid off, leading us to secure the world title and I can confidently say that winning the Air Race X title was a true testament to the collective efforts of our entire team.”
Asked about the challenges they faced as the smallest team up against six of the best air-race teams in the world, Ritz said: “Every time we race, we face new challenges just like in all sports.
“We view these challenges as a result of pushing the envelope and as a team we work together to confront these challenges and work them out to avoid repeating any mistakes.
“Last year, we encountered a massive solar storm that caused our GPS unit to give incorrect readings.
“This year, the challenge was that our sponsor, Emotive, changed their branding and their new vinyl stickers would not stick on the aircraft due to us having had it ceramic coated.
“This meant that we had to remove all of the ceramic polish to enable the plane to be rebranded.”
Last weekend, 50,000 people gathered in Osaka to watch the race, which is a testament to the sport’s popularity as is growing exponentially.
All of the pilots' flight data had been collected and each flight was then superimposed onto a massive screen to simulate the races taking place between the high-rise buildings of Osaka, where Davidson went on to beat fellow rookie Aarron Deliu from Australia in the final.
He also beat multiple world champion Yoshi Muroya from Japan by six points in the overall championship standings.
“Our win on Saturday has been the talk of the internet, with our social media accounts buzzing non-stop as beating Yoshi is a significant achievement for us,” Ritz said.
“He boasts a fast plane and a large, impressive team, including strategists and aerodynamic specialists.
“Yoshi also has hundreds of Air Race hours under his belt, but Patrick has an incredible BMT, and this win, I believe, validates his training, mindset, hunger to win and his natural ability.
“Patrick understands that consistency is more important than a single win, so he’ll be pushing just as hard for 2026 and he will receive more attention now, which is both pressure and opportunity.”
This victory is yet another proud moment for South African aviation and showcases the talent, precision and dedication of the team as well as the various partners supporting Davidson.
The Herald
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