For the three French pilots involved - Nicolas Ivanoff, François Le Vot and Mika Brageot – this is a big moment, and they took the chance for a run out ahead of the Championship action that will take place on a racetrack established in the Bay of Cannes.

"I've been waiting 15 years for this," said Ivanoff.

"I'm very excited about the race,"

Le Vot, who lives near Cannes and calls it his "back garden," added: "Finally we're here racing in France.

"That is a great feeling.

"I'm proud to be racing in front of the French public.

"We have a lovely location, the mountains, the city and the sea."

Brageot commented:. "The first race in France is an amazing feeling.

"It's going to be so good on site and it's live on TV in France on Sunday.

"It's something we've been expecting for a long time and now it's coming up."

United States’ Michael Goulian triumphed in the opening event of the Red Bull Air Race Word Championship in Abu Dhabi in February - his first victory in nine years.

Now he believes he's in the right frame of mind to win again in Cannes.

"We've come here to France feeling confident not pressured," said Goulian.

"I'm not actually sure this race week feels any different to Abu Dhabi.”

Japan’s defending overall champion Yoshihide Muroya, second in the series opener, will be doing all he can to maintain his challenge in this competition accredited by the World Air Sports Federation.

Another European event is scheduled to take place in Bilboa on May 26 and 27, with Budapest holding the fourth competition on June 23 and 24.

An Asian event is due to be held in Astana on August 4 and 5.

There are then scheduled to be events in Russian city Kazan on August 25 and 26 and Indianapolis in the US on October 6 and 7.

The series is then due to draw to a conclusion in Perth in Australia on a date still to be announced in November.