Red Bull Air Race GmbH confirmed that for the future success and development of the sport, the World Championship will take a one-year break in 2011. 

The organization will use this opportunity to fast track the technological advancements currently in the making which would further improve the already high levels of safety. 

There is a need to revise the main organization and commercial areas to realize the full potential of the sport including the development and reinforcement of strong host city partnerships which would secure a long term race calendar. 

“I’m obviously extremely disappointed that I won’t be racing in 2011, it’s a huge setback to my goal of becoming world champion by the time I’m 30," said McLeod. “That said, I’m supportive of the decision if it results in strengthening the Red Bull Air Race to become sustainable in the long term."

McLeod would like to thank his fans who have supported him since he made his Red Bull Air Race debut in the spring of 2009. 

“The support Canadians have shown me over the past two years has been tremendous and even overwhelming at times. I couldn’t have achieved the level of success I reached without the support and motivation from fans, I will use this energy and support in preparation for the 2012 season.”

The Red Bull Air Race in Budapest has been cancelled this year due to lengthy delays in the permissions process, the organization announced with regret today. Interrupting a six-year tradition of racing in the Hungarian capital, the Red Bull Air Race World Champion will now be crowned after the final race of the 2010 season at EuroSpeedway in Lausitz, Germany on August 7th & 8th. 

Budapest has been an annual fixture on the Red Bull Air Race World Championship calendar since 2004 with enormous crowds of more than 600,000 spectators watching the racing from the banks of the Danube River. This year’s race, which would have been the seventh annual race in Budapest, was set for August 19th & 20th. 

Red Bull Air Race GmbH CEO Bernd Loidl expressed his disappointment over the Budapest cancellation, which comes just a week after a race cancellation in Portugal due to unexpected delays in reaching a revised host city agreement. But he said he hoped Budapest would be back on the calendar in 2011. Loidl also said the 2011 calendar will be announced after the final round in Germany next month – which will include a return to New York after the historic first race there in June. 

“Having safely and successfully executed the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Budapest for the past six years, it was a tough decision to make,” Loidl said. “Following so close to the cancellation of the Portugal race last week, we are obviously disappointed and every effort will be made to see a return to Budapest in 2011. Securing the future of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship is paramount and making tough decisions is part of that process. We look forward to announcing the 2011 calendar after the final round in Germany including a much anticipated return to New York in the United States.”