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CHAMBLISS WIN IN LONDON AND THROWS RACE OPEN

The championship battle in the Red Bull Air Race World Series narrowed dramatically after leader Paul Bonhomme stumbled spectacularly in his home race in London, throwing open the competition again and raising the stakes for the next race in Budapest in on 19th and 20th August. The pressure will be on Britain's Bonhomme in the sixth stop in the nine-race season to get back on track after his painful defeat in London, where the favourite who had won three of the first four races ended up in a dismal 7th after hitting a pylon.

Bonhomme's first pylon hit in over two years cost him dearly and he will be looking for revenge in Hungary. His hard-earned six-point lead at the top was slashed to two points (he now has 38 points) after American Kirby Chambliss beat Nicolas Ivanoff in the final. Chambliss moved into second with 36 points ˜ and two wins in his last three races while Austria's Hannes Arch is in third, also on 36 points. ‘The championship is a little bit more exciting now,’ he said.

Despite suffering from a neck injury he got in Rotterdam, Chambliss is on a hot streak and the 2006 World Series champion could overtake Bonhomme in Budapest ˜ the same city where the Brit surrendered the championship lead to another American. Mike Mangold won the Budapest race and overtook Bonhomme despite a controversy over whether or not he flew too low through one Air Gate.

‘We're just a couple points behind Paul now,’ Chambliss said, delighted by the unexpected turn of events in London. ‘We're just gonna continue doing what we're doing ˜ go out there and win and see what happens.’ Paul is gonna be tough to beat. But it's a definite help where he finished. He can do that again, as far as I'm concerned.’

Bonhomme had fought back after losing in London and Budapest last year to get back on top of the table going into the final race in Perth. But after finishing on the podium in all nine races in 2007 to that point, Bonhomme had an off-day in Australia and finished fifth, a heartbreaking last-minute debacle that handed the championship to Mangold. He was hoping to build up an insurmountable lead and clinch the title before Perth this year.

‘I tried too hard,’ said Bonhomme, who aborted his flight in London after hitting the Air Gate and dipping perilously close to the water. ‘I just pushed too hard. When things aren't going right you should just stop. My head just said ‏it's time to get out'.’

Peter Besenyei, who took fourth in London, was glad to get back near the podium and will be looking to avoid the home town pitfalls that hurt Bonhomme, Steve Jones and Nigel Lamb in London. .

‘I'm pleased with fourth place,’ said Besenyei, who is fifth in the standings. ‘I've been pretty consistent this season and haven't been going up and down in the standings.’