Callum Ilott

Callum Ilott is an English IndyCar Series driver who made his IndyCar debut in 2021 with Juncos Hollinger Racing. In 2025, he is one of two full-time drivers for Prema Racing.

The start of Ilott's motorsport career

Callum Ilott, after spending seven years in karting, entered the world of open-wheel racing in 2015. The driver from Cambridge began his motorsport journey strongly following a long and successful karting career. In his first year in the European Formula 3 Championship, he immediately secured a podium finish. In 2016, Ilott went a step further in the same series, winning two races with the Dutch team Van Amersfoort Racing.

Breakthrough in Formula 3

In 2017, the talented English driver won six races in the same series, this time driving for Prema Powerteam. He finished the season in fourth place overall. This strong European Formula 3 season earned Ilott the opportunity to compete in two races in the FIA Formula 2 Championship later that year with Trident. However, in 2018, Callum Ilott did not make a full-time move to the top feeder series for Formula 1. Instead, he competed for ART Grand Prix in the GP3 Series, where he secured two wins and finished third in the championship standings.

Step up to Formula 2

In 2019, Ilott transitioned to Formula 2 after a successful GP3 season. He joined the Sauber Junior Team by Charouz and concluded his first season in the category in 11th place. His best results included two third-place finishes at the Catalunya and Sochi circuits. That year, he also made his Formula 1 debut as a test driver for Alfa Romeo.

In 2020, Ilott had a stellar second season in Formula 2, narrowly missing out on the championship title. Representing UNI-Virtuosi Racing, he finished as the runner-up. The Cambridge native claimed three race victories during the season at the Red Bull Ring, Silverstone, and Monza. In addition to his Formula 2 campaign, Ilott served as a test driver for both Alfa Romeo Racing and the Haas F1 Team. During the Eifel Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, Ilott was scheduled to participate in his first Formula 1 free practice session for Haas, but the session was canceled due to poor weather conditions.

Introduction to the IndyCar Series in 2021

In 2021, Callum Ilott worked as a test driver in Formula 1 for Ferrari and Alfa Romeo Racing. He also competed in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with Iron Lynx. Alongside his commitments in Formula 1 and sports cars, Ilott made his debut in the NTT IndyCar Series that year, driving for Juncos Hollinger Racing at Portland International Raceway.

In addition to the race in Portland, Ilott participated in the final two IndyCar races of the season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and the Long Beach street circuit.

Full-time IndyCar seasons

In 2022 and 2023, Ilott competed in two full seasons with Juncos Hollinger Racing. His best result was two fifth-place finishes in 2023. Although he delivered strong performances at times, Juncos chose to replace him with Romain Grosjean for the 2024 season.

Ilott was unable to secure a full-time IndyCar seat but had the opportunity to compete in several races for McLaren. He combined this with a season in the World Endurance Championship, where he drove a Porsche 963 and finished seventh in the championship standings.

Return to the IndyCar Series

Thanks to his experience in the IndyCar Series, Ilott signed a contract with Prema Racing for 2025, marking his full-time return to the IndyCar Series.