Held in Dubai, the World Drone Prix offered a staggering $1 million prize pot, taking the emerging sport out of the backyard and onto the world stage. To ensure excitement on the track, the 12-lap races, which made the most of the custom-made, undulating course, introduced new tactical considerations for which many pilots were little prepared, including battery-change pit stops, a 10m “elevator of death” obstacle, dynamic segments of variable-width track, and a short-cut and difficult but mandatory “joker lane.” It took entire teams—consisting of a pilot, a copilot and navigator, a technical team, a pit crew, and a manager—to consider the myriad strategic combinations.
Photo by David Stock
