Testing … 1, 2, 3

For our team, it is also the chance to rectify an issue we had with our engine in race one.

However, unlike a series such as Supercars or even F1, where the race cars often return to the factory for work between events, we can only access our plane when Red Bull Air Race can make the logistics work for teams to access them. This gap is one of those times.

So, here’s how the logistics between the first two races works: All of the race planes left Abu Dhabi four days after the race and were transported by sea and then truck to Frankfurt, Germany for the teams to pick up on March 28. From that day, all the teams have been granted access to their plane and can take it wherever they wish to work on it.

In total there are 55 days allocated where the race teams have unrestricted access to their aircraft, from when it is assembled to when it can be dismantled for race two.

For the quick thinkers reading this, you might have already come to the realisation that the planes are in Europe at this time…and that we are an Australian team, as far away from Europe as possible. This brings us back to why testing is such a hot topic of discussion right now.

We’re very fortunate as participants in the series that the shipping of our planes and race equipment is all looked after by the series. But it’s a double-edged sword. It also means that the plane goes where the series says it goes, and that’s a fair call, they’re paying the bills.

But what it also does is create a challenge for the teams that aren’t located in the same place that the planes are. Of the 14 teams in the world championship, eight are based in Europe and therefore during this break those eight teams will take their planes home and have 55 unrestricted days of testing.

A further four teams are located in North America. While this period of testing creates a challenge for them right now, previously aircraft have been based in the USA for an extended period of time and they have enjoyed an advantage.

For two teams, ours and Yoshi Muroya’s (based in Japan), testing is usually a case of finding a temporary home and making do.

What this boils down to in 2019 is that for the teams that aren’t European-based, testing becomes an expensive exercise that is logistically difficult. Therefore, while 55 days are available, our team is able to use just 12 days. The reasons why we will use so few are that we also run a business in Australia that needs attention, partly due to the cost for us to travel to Europe for testing, and the fact it makes it even more days away from our families.

Of course the easiest solution would be to have the race plane in Australia. Then we could work on it while also running our domestic business. It would reduce the costs of testing and we would see our families a lot more. But that isn’t the game we’re entered into, so it’s is easy to see how a fierce debate arises among teams about testing. This time around, the European teams definitely have the biggest advantage.

‘For the teams that aren’t Europeanbased, testing becomes an expensive exercise. ’

Compare this to Formula 1.

They have their testing regulations down to a science. In F1 there are regulations for filming days, promotional days, tyre manufacturer testing, pre-season testing and inseason testing. Importantly, at no point do they ever provide a large window of time and say, ‘go wild, there are no restrictions. ’ It’s all regulated to create an even field.

If testing regulations were to be tightened up in the Red Bull Air Race to allow for a specific number of days per team, per year, it would level the field a little more. Yes, a cost disparity would still exist between teams that have to travel to testing locations and those that don’t. But the purpose of testing regulations is not to reduce costs; it’s about closing a gap from a sporting point of view. After all, there’s a big difference between 55 days and 12 days.

Coming back to the question of when we might see our race plane on ‘green and gold’ soil? It truly is a difficult question to answer.

It would be great to have it during this break, or in our next off-season.

But with an increasing need to ship all of the planes in one load between events and seasons, we’re unlikely to see our plane in Australia as a one-off shipment.

The best bet for when the MHR beast will make its first trip to our home will be when the Red Bull Air Race World Championship next comes to Australia. Fingers crossed for that.

Smoke on.