On Saturday and Sunday, Ontario’s Pete McLeod will contend for the win at the third stop of the 2019 Red Bull Air Race World Championship, a historical first for the series at Lake Balaton, Hungary.

The Red Bull Air Race first stopped in Hungary in its inaugural season, six years before McLeod joined the World Championship in 2009. As the cradle of the sport, the country is a prestigious destination in Air Racing circles, and the Canadian pilot has claimed big results there in the past. At the 2017 race in Budapest, he set a track record, earned the DHL Fastest Lap Award, claimed pole position, and ultimately clinched a podium spot in second place.

Lake Balaton, however, is the largest lake in Central Europe, with wide-open skies that contrast strongly with the previous race location in the heart of Budapest, which was wedged tightly between the banks of the Danube. “Although I’m not familiar with our new location, I anticipate that it will be different than Budapest. The track looks very similar to Chiba [Japan], but I expect the wind will be less of an issue,” said the pilot shortly before leaving his home in Canada for the season’s second race on the European continent.

Accustomed to flying in the Canadian wilderness, McLeod continued, “I like flying over lakes and water, so I don’t think that will be an issue for me. I am just hoping the heatwave in Europe passes by the time the race comes around.”

The pilot also had some good news for all fans of his Cashback World Racing Team, which after delivering the second-best time in Qualifying at February’s season opener, had to wrestle with a couple of penalties and, potentially more worrying for long-term results, raceplane issues at the second stop in Kazan, Russia. “The issues with the raceplane we had in Kazan are currently all in order,” McLeod reported. “I expect and hope for the plane to be in good condition for Lake Balaton.”

Watch Pete McLeod race for the first time in the resort destination of Zamárdi, on the shores of Lake Balaton, Hungary, on 13-14 July 2019. For the latest updates and all the race results, please visit: www.redbullairrace.com.

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Red Bull Air Race 2019 Calendar
8-9 February: Abu Dhabi, UAE
15-16 June: Kazan, Russia
13-14 July: Lake Balaton, Hungary
7-8 September: Chiba, Japan

About Red Bull Air Race
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is an aerial motorsport series that demands a combination of speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile, high performance raceplanes, pilots compete in iconic locations over water and land. The high speed, low altitude and extreme manoeuvrability required make it accessible only to the world’s most exceptional pilots.

Flying just metres from the ground, 14 Master Class pilots race against the clock whilst reaching speeds of up to 370 km/h, requiring a combination of precision and skill unmatched in the world of aviation. Pilots must be in peak physical condition as they endure forces up to 12G while navigating the technical racetracks made up of air-filled pylons.

The Air Race was developed in 2003 and is accredited by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), with more than 90 races completed across five continents. As the most advanced aerial challenge in existence, competing in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship is the highest accolade for elite pilots. The Challenger Cup feeder series was introduced in 2014.

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