Martin Sonka of the Czech Republic was third in the race where the world’s 14 best pilots were flying at speeds of up to 370 km/h just meters above the surface of Danube River in front of thousands of spectators. It was the sixth time the Red Bull Air Race was staged in Budapest, one of the most spectacular locations where the pilots enter the track by flying beneath the city’s iconic Chain Bridge.

Arch, who struggled in the training sessions and was only third in Qualifying on Saturday, was unstoppable through the first two elimination rounds, comfortably advancing through the Round of 14 and the Round of 8. But he was pushed to the limits in the riveting Final Four by Bonhomme, Sonka and Pete McLeod of Canada, who ended up fourth. Even as temperatures soared far above 30 degrees, Arch calmly held on to deliver his best performance of the week.

“Things couldn’t be going better right now,” said a beaming Arch, who also won got his first career win here in Budapest in 2008 that put him on course to win the world championship that year. “The key is to put it all together at the right time. It doesn’t help if I do it in Qualifying or training. I had the confidence that I could put it all together at the right time.”