Callum Ilott of the #12 JOTA Porsche 963 was ‘delighted’ with securing a second-placed finish last weekend from his debut Hypercar race in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Qatar 1812 km.
Along with teammates Will Stevens and Norman Nato, the #12 landed the team’s first Hypercar podium in Qatar which marked Ilott’s first race in the category.
“What a start to the year,” said the 25-year-old after the season-opener.
“I’m delighted with second place overall and the first ‘privateer’ team home which gives us the lead in the FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams standings.
“Hertz Team JOTA did an amazing job and the team was incredible to work with. They made it super easy for me on my Hypercar debut as did my team-mates Norman [Nato] and Will [Stevens] who were both fast and did solid jobs.
“We arrived in Qatar with a great car. JOTA worked very hard over the winter to put everything in the right window and so from the start of practice after the Prologue in which we topped two sessions, we were consistently fast with our Porsche showing great pace.”
Ilott’s sole WEC entry before Qatar was at the 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours, where he finished third for Iron Lynx in the GTE Am class.
During his first qualifying attempt in the #12 Porsche, he reached the top-10 Hyperpole shootout and so qualified in third position after a fastest lap time of 1:39.511.
He reflected on his performance: “I set the third quickest time in Hyperpole qualifying for a second row place – a good starting position for the team. I think there could have been a little bit more [time] but not a bad effort for my first qualifying hypercar session.
“It was a very, very long race and we battled hard. We made no mistakes, had solid pace and undertook a different strategy to our rivals – trying to extend our stints and it paid off.
“We all kept chipping away and, ultimately, after great strategy and team-work, I was catching the second-placed car in the closing laps. Unfortunately for them, their car stopped on the penultimate lap.”
After nearly 10 hours of racing at Qatar, their P2 finish set them in the lead of the World Cup for Hypercar Teams running order against the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P, the #99 Proton Competition Porsche, and the sibling #38 JOTA.
The second round of the championship will continue their efforts at Imola, a six-hour event on 21 April.
“Let’s now see what Imola holds for us. It’s a track I know reasonably well.
“I raced there in 2016 in Formula 3 and I don’t think too much has changed there. We’ll all be giving it our best to extend our lead in the championship.”
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