Callum Ilott is finally starting to find some form towards the end of his first season back in IndyCar with the new PREMA team after a year away.
The British driver and his teammate, Robert Shwartzman, both got to the verge of Formula 1 and spent much of the season building speed on ovals and more conventional tracks as the team adjusted to an entirely new style of racing.
Ilott has been particularly impressive over the past couple of races, as the results have begun to come with an eighth place in Toronto and a P6 finish at Laguna Seca. It was a superb drive, but Ilott couldn’t match Palou as he stormed to victory.
These two results were particularly impressive as they were delivered on two incredibly different circuits, with the bumpy streets of Toronto and the undulating Laguna Seca.
Despite the superb result, it wasn’t quite a perfect day at the Grand Prix of Monterey as Ilott struggled with the restarts at Laguna Seca.
He told Frontstretch Open Wheel: “Really good with the tyre degradation. I think on those reds I was able to extend a little bit longer than other people. I didn’t quite have the peak pace that some of the top guys did. So on those restarts I was struggling a bit. But once we got settled, it was really good. So they did a great job in the pits. Great job with the strategy and to move forward 18 places, it’s a pretty good achievement.”
Mid-Ohio was a turning point for Ilott and PREMA
PREMA are formidable in the multitude of junior series, including Formula 1, where they compete in Formula 2 and FIA F3. They have developed multiple F1 drivers, including Charles Leclerc and Mick Schumacher.
The Italian team took a significant step into the unknown as PREMA moved to North America. They had to understand how to set the car up as well as the hybrid system.
Ilott explained that Mid-Ohio was the turning point for the team as they began to string together races over the entire distance with pace and in an operational sense with strategy.
The British driver finished 23rd that day behind his teammate Shwartzman, who ended the race in 20th as PREMA began to get to grips with IndyCar.
Ilott added: “It’s just been a collection of putting things together, and we’ve had this pace at times this year, and just getting better and better. Mid-Ohio was a point where we kind of started to put the races together, and Toronto was our best finish, and now this is our best finish. So really proud of what the team’s managed to achieve. And even from the pit stops to the pace to with Chevy, we’ve done a great job. So hopefully this is the start of more of these. But pushing the boundaries a bit.”
Image credit: Penske Entertainment: Joe Skibinski
