14 SEP 2026
NEWThe top four went into the final round with the championship still open. Muroya qualified second, reached the final and finished second. That left him tied with Patrick Davidson on 99 points, and the crown went to Davidson on the season win count.
The final round of the AIR RACE X 2026 series, Race 4, was broadcast on Sunday, September 13. After Race 3, just 23 points separated series leader Yoshihide Muroya from fourth-placed Martin Šonka. With up to 33 points available in the final round, including qualifying, all four of the top pilots went in with a chance of claiming the championship.
Yoshihide Muroya (LEXUS PATHFINDER AIR RACING) entered the final round leading the championship. After qualifying second, he won his Quarterfinal and Semifinal heats to reach the Final, where he finished second to Patrick Davidson (South Africa / Team 77). Both pilots flew without penalties, each recording a time in the 61-second range.
The result left Muroya and Davidson tied on 99 points for the season. Davidson's two race wins to Muroya's one, secured him a second consecutive championship. Muroya, meanwhile, ended the season second overall.
Watch Race 4 on the official YouTube channel.
Davidson topped Qualifying, taking pole position with a time of 60.678. Muroya clocked 61.018 to place second, improving on his Race 3 Qualifying time of 62.193 as he advanced to the knockout rounds.
Emma McDonald placed third (63.425), followed by Michael Tryggvason in fourth (63.644) and Aarron Deliu in fifth (63.781). Qualifying revealed a clear gap between the leading pair and the rest of the field.
In Heat C, Muroya faced his long-standing rival Martin Šonka of the Czech Republic. With Šonka recording 66.136, Muroya advanced with a time of 61.877, delivering another flight in the 61-second range after Qualifying.
Davidson, Deliu and McDonald won the other heats, as the leading qualifiers progressed to the Semifinals.
Muroya faced Emma McDonald in Heat A. Flying first, McDonald set a time of 64.554, before Muroya finished in 62.011 to secure his place in the Final. All three of Muroya's flights from Qualifying through the Semifinals were in the 61- to 62-second range.
In Heat B, Davidson (61.942) defeated Deliu (64.189) to advance. Both Muroya and Davidson reached their third consecutive Final, having done so at every round since Race 2.
Following their meetings in Races 2 and 3, Muroya and Davidson faced each other once again in the Final. With the championship riding on this single flight, both pilots avoided penalties, leaving the result to be decided purely on time.
Flying first, Muroya recorded his personal best for the Final at this event, 61.717. Close to his Qualifying time of 61.018, it put Davidson under pressure to deliver a flight in the 61-second range. Davidson responded with 61.207 to take the win.
Muroya earned 18 points for second place in the Final and five for second in Qualifying, adding 23 points to his total. He closed the four-race 2026 season with three consecutive appearances in the Final.
Despite receiving a one-second penalty, Deliu posted an impressive 63.451, beating McDonald's penalty-free time of 64.720 to claim third place. In only his second season, Deliu finished on the podium in three of the four races.
Right from the first practice session, almost from flight one, I was achieving the times I had been targeting, and I was able to keep improving from there. I felt confident from practice onwards. We did a lot of practice flights, then completed all the races within a few hours, and I am very happy with the result.
I am very happy with what I did and what the team did to achieve this result. To come away with the win was really unexpected, but I am delighted, and it feels great to have defended the title.
The final round brought difficult conditions, with major changes in the weather and wind. Even so, we gave it our best as a team and flew a new track record. Patrick then lowered the record further in Qualifying, and we advanced in second place.
The Final, with the title at stake, was a close contest. We fell just short and finished the season second overall. We are making steady progress as a team, but this is a deeply disappointing result. We will build on this experience next season and reclaim the title.
Following Race 4, the final points standings for the 2026 season are shown below.
Muroya and Davidson finished the four-race season tied on 99 points. Under the rules, the pilot with more race wins takes the higher position. Davidson's back-to-back victories in Races 3 and 4 therefore secured the championship, with Muroya finishing second overall. Muroya had led Davidson by 10 points after Race 3, but second place in both Qualifying and the Final at the last round left him level on points and narrowly short of the title.
Watch Race 4 in full on the official YouTube channel.
The 2026 Season Comes to a Close
The four-race AIR RACE X 2026 series produced three different winners: Deliu took the opening round, Muroya won Race 2, and Davidson claimed Races 3 and 4. Muroya reached three consecutive Finals from Race 2 onwards and remained in the championship fight throughout the season, but the title ultimately slipped just beyond his reach as the two leaders finished level on points.
A championship decided on race wins after a tie on points marked an unusual conclusion to an AIR RACE X season. With all four closely matched leading pilots still in contention heading into the final round, the 2026 season delivered twists and changes in the standings right to the end.
It was also a season of progress across the field, as every team steadily improved its times. Among those making their mark were Deliu, who won the season opener in his second year; McDonald, who reached the Semifinals and Third-Place Playoff for the first time; and rookie Tryggvason, who posted the fourth-fastest time in Race 4 Qualifying.
Details of the 2027 season will be announced in due course on the official website and social media channels. Another thrilling season awaits.