Press release
The result, the background and the details your newsroom needs.
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AIR RACE X 2026 / Gqeberha, South Africa
Champion.Again.
Gqeberha’s Red Bull pilot Patrick Davidson has won the 2026 AIR RACE X finale and retained the championship. With Emotive-backed Team 77, he brings a second consecutive title home to South Africa.
Official editorial resources
Your story starts here.
Ready for your newsroom.
Media pack
Patrick’s profile, Emotive, the AIR RACE X format and interview angles.
Photos & footage
The release, media pack, nine supplied photographs and captions in one ZIP. Download the cockpit video separately below.
The aircraft. The pilot. The detail.
Pictures that tell the story.
Nine photographs supplied by Team 77 for editorial use. Download the original files individually, or get all nine in the media pack.
Emotive in flight
01Patrick Davidson’s Emotive-liveried number 77 Edge 540 V3 banking in flight with smoke trailing behind. Photograph supplied by Team 77.
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Patrick Davidson
02Red Bull pilot Patrick Davidson in flying suit and cap, holding his helmet beside the race aircraft in a hangar. Photograph supplied by Team 77.
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In the cockpit
03Patrick Davidson in the cockpit of the Emotive-liveried race aircraft with the canopy open. Photograph supplied by Team 77.
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Head-on with smoke
04Head-on view of Patrick Davidson’s Emotive-liveried number 77 race aircraft in flight with a smoke trail. Photograph supplied by Team 77.
2 400 × 1 600 px · JPGBanking through the sky
05Patrick Davidson’s Emotive-liveried number 77 race aircraft banking against a blue sky. Photograph supplied by Team 77.
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The pilot’s perspective
06Rear view of Patrick Davidson in flying gear, with Red Bull and Emotive branding on his helmet. Photograph supplied by Team 77.
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Emotive from below
07Underside view of Patrick Davidson’s Emotive-liveried number 77 Edge 540 V3 in flight, with Red Bull branding visible. Photograph supplied by Team 77.
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On the centreline
08Head-on view of Patrick Davidson’s Emotive-liveried number 77 race aircraft in flight. Photograph supplied by Team 77.
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A wider perspective
09Patrick Davidson’s Emotive-liveried race aircraft banking in flight. Photograph supplied by Team 77.
6 000 × 4 000 px · JPGBackground photographs supplied by Team 77; these are not photographs of the finale result or celebrations. For photographer credit or further usage enquiries, contact Greg Ritz.
Inside the cockpit / Team 77
Watch the final cockpit run.
Ride on board with Patrick Davidson for the final AIR RACE X run. Watch the supplied footage here or download the full-HD MP4 for your coverage.
1 min 34 sec · 1920 × 1080 · MP4 · 70.1 MBFootage supplied by Team 77.
Patrick Davidson wins 2026 AIR RACE X finale and retains championship
Gqeberha Red Bull pilot takes a second consecutive title with Emotive-backed Team 77
GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA, 13 September 2026 – Red Bull pilot Patrick Davidson has won the 2026 AIR RACE X season finale and retained the championship, securing a second consecutive title for South Africa.
Racing for Team 77 in his Emotive-liveried Edge 540 V3, Davidson adds the 2026 crown to his breakthrough championship in 2025. The successful title defence brings another international sporting achievement home to Gqeberha and the Eastern Cape.
Emotive, a European automotive aftermarket group based in Zug, Switzerland, supports Davidson’s AIR RACE X campaign. The company renewed its backing for 2026 after supporting his first championship-winning season, linking its Parts That Fly High campaign to the precision, preparation and performance of air racing.
AIR RACE X brings real aircraft and digital race presentation together. Pilots fly prescribed courses in high-performance aircraft at separate locations. Recorded flight data allows their performances to be measured, judged and presented in a shared competition for audiences around the world.
Davidson’s career spans national aerobatic competition, the Red Bull Air Race Challenger Class and international display flying. A six-time South African national aerobatic champion, he grew up in an aviation family and entered flying competitions at 12 with a safety pilot before competing solo at 17.
He won the opening round and finale of the 2025 AIR RACE X season to claim his first series title. Winning the 2026 finale and championship builds on that achievement with a successful defence against the international field.
The official finale broadcast is available on the AIR RACE X YouTube channel. Media can contact Greg Ritz for interviews with Davidson and Team 77, supplied race-aircraft photographs and footage enquiries.
ENDS
Media enquiries: Greg Ritz · greg@flyingdavidson.com · +27 83 400 5858
Patrick Davidson
From Gqeberha.
On the world stage.
Red Bull pilot, six-time South African national aerobatic champion and Team 77’s number 77. Davidson’s career spans aerobatic competition, international display flying and the Red Bull Air Race Challenger Class.
Read Patrick’s biography ↗Emotive / AIR RACE X sponsor
Parts That Fly High.
Emotive is a European automotive aftermarket group based in Zug, Switzerland. Its specialist brands serve independent workshops and distributors. Emotive renewed its support for Davidson’s 2026 AIR RACE X campaign.
Meet Emotive ↗Watch AIR RACE X
The official finale.
Real aircraft. Recorded flight data. An international competition brought together for the broadcast.
Interviews / Radio / Television / Editorial
Put Patrick on air.
Contact Greg Ritz for interviews with Patrick and Team 77, photographs and footage enquiries.
Greg Ritzgreg@flyingdavidson.com
We record press-room visits, link clicks and file requests to understand which resources are useful. Early-access details are kept privately by Team 77.