PREMA has announced Callum Ilott as its first driver to spearhead a brand new NTT IndyCar Series effort in 2025.
Ilott is no stranger to the PREMA team, finishing second in the 2020 FIA Formula 2 World Championship with the squad.
Before then he campaigned with the Italian outfit in the Formula 3 European Championship and GP3 series, making him the perfect candidate to bring PREMA’s IndyCar journey to the grid in 2025.
Ilott has amassed 38 starts in IndyCar with teams Juncos Hollinger Racing and Arrow McLaren and the 25-year-old will return to the paddock full-time next year for the first time since 2023.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to experience INDYCAR with PREMA, their first steps in the series and in the US,” the British driver said.
“What an amazing chance. I love the racing, I love these cars and I love the team, so it’s great to be back to what they call the Italian family home.
“It’s going to be something special to build off, a lot of hard work but I’m excited to join the team and see what we can do together.”
PREMA Team Owner Rene Rosin added, “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Callum back with us for this new chapter of our history.
“We had a great time working with him in Formula 3, and we always kept an eye on him after that.
“He proved to be a great fit for us in the past, and I think he will feel like picking up something he had left off.
“He proved his outstanding speed skills everywhere he competed. In addition, his prior IndyCar experience will be an invaluable asset.
“Now that the opportunity to get back together has come, we are determined to make the most out of it.”
Ilott’s return to the IndyCar paddock on a full-time basis will see him working in close collaboration with PREAM’s IndyCar CEO Piers Phillips, who said, “We are really looking forward to welcoming Callum to our INDYCAR team.
“His previous experiences in the series, combined with those with PREMA, will make him a key asset as we try to merge the team’s European heritage with what it will be able to learn in the US. We know Callum as a very talented driver, but we can also see how his professionalism has matured in the series.
“The information and feedback he will be able to share will be extremely important, as much as his impressive racing skills.”
Ilott’s 2024 campaign has predominantly taken place in the FIA World Endurance Paddock, where he achieved his maiden overall race victory with HERTZ Team Jota in the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
The PREMA returnee competed in a series of stand-in performances for Arrow McLaren this year in IndyCar, including the Indy 500 where he finished 11th.
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