Red Bull Air Race is back at its spiritual home in Budapest, Hungary, this weekend with the championship standings currently tied at the very top of the table.
Japan's Yoshihide Muroya and Czech pilot Martin Sonka are tied for first and second on 30 points, with Muroya slightly ahead courtesy of his two race wins to Sonka's one.
This year marks the 11th time the race has been held in Budapest, where the track takes pilots along the picturesque Danube after a spectacular start that has them flying beneath the iconic Chain Bridge.
For Australian Matt Hall, Budapest has always been a happy hunting ground, even though some very fast times have garnered nothing more than one third place over the years.
However, with a new aeroplane for 2017, the performance of Matt Hall Racing is an unknown quantity.
"We have never got a result that befits the potential we have shown in Budapest," Hall believes. "I think we’ve had the plane to win there in the past; we’ve always been fast.
“But this year I have no idea how we will go with our new plane, it’s a blank canvas.
“This new machine is not as fast as our old one in a straight line, but we are working on that and have a few upgrades for this event with engine cooling and wing aerodynamics. I’m feeling confident after a handful of test flights.
“We may not be as fast yet, but this plane is easier to fly and it rolls much faster than my old one, which means I can cut it a lot closer to the pylons in the track before levelling out. And my visibility is improved.”
The forced change from the MXS-R that saw him finish second in the championship two years running to the new Edge 540 has brought indifferent form to the team. Hall currently sits in 11th place in the standings, with only eight points and no podium finishes to his name. Despite that, Hall is approaching Budapest with a positive attitude.
“Part of learning an entirely new aircraft is retraining your muscles to instinctively react to what the plane is doing," he said. "Changing specific items such as the layout of our switches will help that process, and hopefully allow me to focus on flying as fast, efficiently and error free as possible.
“Everything might be a little unknown at this point, but we are definitely on the right track to returning to our best form.”
Qualifying for Budapest is on Saturday night 1 July at midnight AEST, with the race on Sunday evening at 10.00 pm AEST.