Pete McLeod Looks to Climb Rankings in Spielberg

After a sixth place finish, and four championship points at the Red Bull Air Race season opener in Abu Dhabi, Team Garmin pilot Pete McLeod arrived in Spielberg, Austria last week to begin preparations for the second round of the 2016 world championship series. The second tour stop, located at the famous Red Bull Ring – noted for Formula One auto racing, will be a chance for the team to continue working toward long term goals while hopefully gaining ground in the standings.

The Canadian, in his fifth Red Bull Air Race season, knows that each race is a building block toward the ultimate goal. “Every race is a learning experience and we try to take away as much as possible. Overall, the strategy is similar for Spielberg – move forward as much as possible toward our 2017 goals and try to pick up some 2016 points along the way,” McLeod said.

The Red Bull Ring creates a number of unique challenges for air race pilots. First, pilots will launch and recover directly from the narrow racetrack straightaway in front of the grandstand. This is different from Abu Dhabi where aircraft were staged from an airport several miles from the track. Also, the course is laid out over land, with more obstacles than just the inflatable pylons to consider.

Last season’s Spielberg race included a trip to the Round of 8 for McLeod. This year he’ll be vying for position against good friend, and local Austrian hero Hannes Arch. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates and news.