Overlooked F1 prospect finds new career direction after IndyCar exit
Motorsport athlete Callum Ilott will swap from IndyCar to the World Endurance Championship with the Jota Porsche Hypercar squad next year
Motorsport driver Callum Llott is set to transition from IndyCar racing to the World Endurance Championship, joining the Jota Porsche Hypercar squad for the upcoming season.
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Ilott, an ex-Alfa Romeo Formula 1 reserve driver, has been confirmed to race in the World Endurance Championship for the Jota team on social media. He will compete in the No. 12 Porsche 963 LMDh and join forces with regular Will Stevens and Norman Nato team members.
Jota announced Ilott's addition to the lineup on Monday. The British squad also announced they would have an expanded two-car Hypercar group, with Phil Hanson leading the #38 car with teammates Oliver Rasmussen and a yet-to-be-determined third driver. Ilott secured his place in the Jota team after a successful test of the first 963 at Qatar earlier this month.
"I'm so excited to be racing a Porsche in the top class with Hertz Team Jota," said Ilott when being revealed."I had a two-day test recently, and the car felt great and was enjoyable to drive."
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"I've been ultra-impressed with the team," he continued. "They're incredibly professional, and I already know that with the Porsche, we are going to be challenging for top results next season and hopefully success at Le Mans itself."
Following the confirmation of the news, the Jota team principal spoke with Motorsport, expressing the team's excitement about the 25-year-old British driver joining. "We are very excited to have Callum in the car for next season," said team principal Sam Hignett. "He tested with us in Qatar and did the excellent job we were expecting."
In the 2023 IndyCar season, Ilott started finishing fifth at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, his best finish in the series so far. However, during the first Indy 500 Open Test day in April, he was left frustrated while preparing for the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500. He mentioned: "I couldn't even go in a straight line. It was like a ping-pong ball bouncing across a corridor. It just kept bouncing, bouncing, so I thought to myself, 'That's not good..'
Despite struggling in practice throughout May, Ilott managed to qualify in 28th place and even led a few laps. Eventually, he finished 12th. On Oct. 26, it was announced that Ilott and Juncos Hollinger Racing mutually agreed to part ways after more than two seasons.
Ilott has achieved notable accomplishments across various championships. In the 2015 season, he participated in the Toyota Racing Series, the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, and the GP3 Series.
That led him to compete in the challenging FIA Formula 2 Championship in the 2018 season. Continuing his upward trajectory, Ilott served as the reserve driver for the Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team in the 2019-20 season, showcasing his versatility and skills at the pinnacle of Motorsport.
