WORLD CHAMP MANGOLD LOOKS TO 2008

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American Mike Mangold, who won his second Red Bull Air Race World Series championship in three years with an amazing comeback, has already turned his thoughts to the 2008 season after his battle all year with Britain's Paul Bonhomme. And in an interview, Mangold admitted what many of the other 12 pilots and the 10 million fans had long suspected ˜ it is not always enough to be the best pilot to win the championship.

‘Paul is a very talented pilot with a superb race plane and crew chief,‘ Mangold said, referring to his British rival who mesmerized the crowds around the world with his brilliant style of flying. ‘His performances are very consistent and he rarely makes a big mistake...(But) there is a lot more to winning the championship than being an excellent pilot.‘

Mangold rallied from two points behind after a dreadful fifth-place showing in his home race in San Diego in September to equalize Bonhomme on points with 47 in the final race in Perth in November. The championship was then decided by a tie-breaker. It was the fifth time in the 10-race season that the championship lead changed hands, making it easily the most exciting campaign in the history of the Red Bull Air Race.

Going into the season, Mangold had predicted it was going to be a dog fight with six pilots challenging for the championship. A new playoff format, with a series of knock-out rounds, along with the fact that several pilots in the middle of the pack had made giant leaps forward were the key ingredients.

There were plenty of upsets and five different race winners. But the championship battle crystalised by the midway point between Mangold and Bonhomme ˜ both were incredibly consistent and ended up on the podium in nine of the 10 races.

‘There were only two pilots in the top group because the other teams were unable to find the proper formula to stay with the leaders throughout the series,‘ Mangold said. ‘Many things need to go right each race for a team to make it to the podium.‘

Despite investing heavily in improving his airplane over the winter, Mangold seemed to struggle in the early part of the season, suffering from a pinched nerve in his shoulder and later the flu. But he stayed within striking distance of Bonhomme, managing two thirds and a second in the first three races before his first victory in Istanbul. Two victories (London and Budapest) and two second places (Interlaken and Porto) in the next four races catapulted him ahead of Bonhomme.

‘I knew my airplane was well-suited for the style of RBAR flying,‘ he said. ‘I also knew I was not physically performing at my top level due to injury and illness. Istanbul was special because many obstacles were overcome to win that race. A year before we brought out the new white plane and hit a pylon to lose the race. This year, the right wing tip separated during qualifying. It was a tremendous effort to repair the airplane and win the race just 18 hours later.‘

The victory in the seventh race of the season in Budapest, though controversial because several other pilots felt he should have been disqualified from the race tower for ‘dangerous flying‘, put him ahead of Bonhomme for the first time. He gave up the lead two races later in San Diego, his worst race of the season. Mangold said he got important help from his wife, also a pilot, during that difficult phase. ‘My wife Julie is very supportive,‘ he said. ‘She gave the best advice: don't let the rulings from the race tower affect your style of flying.‘

But Mangold is already looking ahead to 2008, where new locations in Sweden, the Netherlands and Spain are scheduled. He is confident his airplane, an Edge 540, has the right stuff to win again next season. ‘My white airplane was the best-suited for the 2007 style of RB Air Racing. I do plan on flying it in 2008, with very little modification. Next year there will be several major changes in the RBAR rules, affecting the type of aircraft set-up. I honestly don't know what set-up is needed because it is all a bit too complex at this point to predict what effect the new rules will have on the race.‘

Aside from spending more time with his family after the long season, Mangold said he plans to pursue his hobbies skydiving, skiing and snowboarding before getting back to work on his plane.

‘In the short time we have the RBAR plane before the first race in Abu Dhabi we will do a complete maintenance check and add a new paint scheme,‘ Mangold said, adding with a laugh: ‘My daughter Melissa says I should paint the airplane pink.‘