Matt Hall's consistent performances in this year's Red Bull Air Race season has put him in a position to challenge for the championship.
Hall goes into this weekend's sixth round in Spielberg, Austria, only eight points behind championship leader Paul Bonhomme.
Bonhomme is on 46 points courtesy of three race wins, but consistent good performances from Hall have him on 38 points despite not having scored a race win so far. His tally is the highest he's ever scored in one season and there are still three races to go.
“We have aimed for consistency all year and so far, for the most part, I think we have achieved that aim,” Hall said ahead of Saturday’s Qualifying.
“That means consistency across the board in preparation, in our teamwork, in our planning and for me in the track. Is that going to be enough to win the championship? I doubt it, but who knows. Time will tell. It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen in the next few months. We’ll continue to take every race as an individual event and prepare to perform at our best.”
The Australian is also looking to erase the demons of Spielberg 2014, when he was relegated to 10th after American Kirby Chambliss eliminated him in the Top 12 round.
“I flew well in Spielberg last year except for a mistake in the Top 12 and actually ended up with my worst-ever race result,” he said. “It’s pretty much the same track as last year. Obviously we’ll be aiming to be error-free this time around.”
Hall has been in Europe since the last race in Ascot and avoiding jet lag should help him at the race in Austria, where local hero Hannes Arch (on 30 points) is hoping to challenge Hall for second place in the standings.
Australian audiences can watch this weekend's race live on www.redbullairrace.com from midnight on Saturday for qualifying, and again from midnight on Sunday for all the race day action.
Fox Sports 2 will also broadcast the race live from midnight Sunday night.