"Paul can lose, but I've already won"

From rookie to title contender: A philosophical Hannes Arch on his first Red Bull Air Race victory, Paul Bonhomme’s nerves – and why the Austrian’s new canopy gives him three seconds on the rest. Or perhaps doesn’t.

Hannes, do you still know when you came to the fork in the road between life as Joe Bloe and an adventurer who jumps from the Eiger North face, who, in a car, lets himself fall from a plane, and is now on the brink of winning the Red Bull Air Race World Series?

I don’t think there was any particular moment when that happened. It was more like a continual development. I was looking for a way of expressing myself. And I was lucky – but also had the drive – to find these paths myself. Without compromises. With absolute commitment. In the case of the Red Bull Air Race, for example, I started a new life at the age of 38, and made everything else subordinate to this goal. It could’ve gone the wrong way. I didn’t even know if I had any talent for it.

Obviously you do: In Budapest, only one-and-a-half years after your Red Bull Air Race debut, you celebrated your first victory. Why especially there and then?

Because I was inwardly ready for it. For the first time, I thought I could win. And this maturity gave me the coolness to fly faultlessly. Nobody can really imagine how close a Red Bull Air Race victory and defeat actually are. A tiny mistake, you’re out, and have lost a whole bunch of points. That’s what happened to Paul [Bonhomme]. He flies brilliantly; I can only learn from him when it comes to technical things. But in Budapest he just lost his nerve.

Would you say you’ve developed in character and as a pilot as quickly as you’ve amassed points since your first Red Bull Air Race one-and-a-half years ago?

As a pilot I had a lot to learn. Most of my competition has been in the scene two-to-three times as long as I have. But as a person, hopefully I’m the same one as I was before.

In order to give your best during the race, you’ve been working with a German mind coach. What have you learned from him?

To believe in myself. He knows a few tricks that really help. In Budapest he really pushed me.

What importance does the psychological factor have in the Red Bull Air Race – the things that are said before a race; tiny innovations to the plane that unnerve the rivals?

The contest begins on the ground. Just before the race, every one of us is so over-sensitive – also often edgy. That’s when a small bluff or a particularly self-confident demeanor can make a difference. But the psychological stuff doesn’t exceed any boundaries that could harm friendships.

Since you’ve become a serious title contender it seems that your rivals’ nerves are a little frayed. ‘Arch is sparking a technical war, a money war,’ said Mike Mangold. Your new, aerodynamic canopy in particular is causing quite a stir.

That’s exactly what I mean: you try out something new and then tell the press that it makes your plane at least three seconds faster. And there go the waves of excitement. By the way, last year Mike started the arms race with his new wingtips ...

Right at the beginning of your career you took out the passenger seat of your VW Golf to create a free sleeping area on your trips. Do you apply these sorts of unconventional ideas to your plane as well?

No, all that happens very rationally. I get together with my technicians and make a list of priorities about what investments could make the plane faster. Based on our budget, we then go through the list point by point.

The fight on the overall table has turned into a duel between you and Paul Bonhomme. Are you as different as pilots as you are character-wise?

As pilots we’re really very different. Paul is a 747 pilot, and grew up on an airfield. I on the other hand, was a BASE jumper, paraglider and skydiver. But in character we’re actually not as different as some perceive. For example, we’re both extremely detail-oriented, and we both prepare ourselves for each race meticulously and don’t leave anything to chance. And we’re also connected by a great friendship.

To win the title, what does Paul Bonhomme have in his favor, and what does Hannes Arch have in his?

Paul’s got experience and self-confidence. But he’s under inhumane pressure. For me on the other hand, the season’s already over. I’ve achieved more this year than I ever could have imagined. So in that sense, Paul can lose, but I’ve already won.