With the 2019 season opener in Abu Dhabi just days away on 8-9 February, Canada’s only Red Bull Air Race pilot talks about exciting new partners and how the team has been preparing for their eighth campaign in the World Championship. Here is the latest from the newly named Cashback World Racing Team.

Pete, your number 84 has some new collaborators this season…
PM: Yes, I’m very excited to welcome Cashback World and Diamond Aircraft as new partners for 2019. In concert with continued partnerships with Hamilton Watches and Hintsteiner Group, we are creating a team that has the expertise, technology, and most importantly the passion to begin a serious challenge for a World Championship.

What do partners and sponsors bring to the table in this kind of motorsport?
PM: Sponsors and the resources they afford a race team have become a huge factor in the results of teams within this series. Without giving away all of our ‘secrets’, I think what I’m most excited about is the synergies that exist among the team’s partners; the variety of expertise, industries, products, and the numerous ways we have identified for them to take part and contribute to results and experience, as well as to benefit from the excitement and exposure of the Red Bull Air Race.

One result of your team’s new relationships will be obvious to everyone watching on Friday and Saturday – your raceplane has a new look.
PM: The off-season was very busy for us with rebranding the aircraft. Repainting a raceplane is a complex and time-consuming project to ensure it is completed properly and the performance of the aircraft is maintained. I’m happy we finished on time and with only a relatively minor increase in weight.

Your Team Coordinator Charlotte Sandgaard is back for a third season, but you have two new experts on board this year: Technician Adam MacCabe and Tactician Werner Wolfrum. As you and the team rebranded the raceplane, did you make any other modifications in the process?
PM: Unfortunately, there was no time for further development of the aircraft. That being said, we expected this, so the targeted modifications for 2019 were completed during the end of the 2018 season, between the penultimate race in Indianapolis and the season finale in Fort Worth. In fact, we were still testing and tweaking systems – at the expense of our track performance – during the race in Texas. At that point, the championship was out of reach, so why not?

You’ve earned three previous podiums in Abu Dhabi. What do you anticipate this time?
PM: Like most teams, we have been working hard on processing data from 2018 and building a plan for 2019 – Abu Dhabi will be a busy race of implementation. One thing is for certain, the Abu Dhabi track is the same as 2018, and aside from influences of new rules regarding the G force limit, I fully expect my times to be faster than last year at this location – the plane is improving.

As third overall in 2017, you also know what it’s like to stand on the World Championship podium. With eight races until this year’s champion is crowned, any thoughts on where you want to end up?
PM: As I mentioned, we’re launching a serious campaign for the title, but so many factors are involved, and there are so many strong competitors, that for me the most useful goal is to make each race better than the last. We’re looking forward to the challenge.

Follow Pete McLeod and the Cashback World Racing Team all season long. For ticket information and the latest Red Bull Air Race news and updates, visit www.redbullairrace.com.

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Red Bull Air Race 2019 Calendar
8-9 February: Abu Dhabi, UAE
TBA: Europe
15-16 June: Kazan, Russia
13-14 July: Budapest, Hungary
7-8 September: Chiba, Japan
TBA: Asia
19-20 October: Indianapolis, USA
8-9 November: Saudi Arabia

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 race planes, 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.

A Challenger Cup feeder series was introduced in 2014 with the goal of facilitating the development of the unique skills required for the Master Class for the next generation of pilots.

For more editorial content, visit www.redbullairracenewsroom.com.