Arrow McLaren confirmed on Tuesday that Callum Ilott will drive for the team at this weekend’s season-opening IndyCar event.
Ilott will pilot the #6 entry on the streets of St. Petersburg, filling in for David Malukas who is still recovering from a broken wrist suffered in a mountain biking accident.
Although it was widely assumed Ilott would be driving the car following the team having him fill in for Malukas at a preseason test, an official announcement was not made until today.
The British driver has two years of IndyCar experience with Juncos Hollinger Racing, and provides Arrow McLaren with a solid chance at earning a strong result while it waits for its signed driver to heal.
“It’s great to the back in the NTT Series and getting on with it with the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet,” said Ilott. “Really excited. It’s a great race to come in for.
“First off, I feel really bad for David. I hope he gets a speedy recovery and gets back in the car soon. I think he’s coming to the race. We’ll get to work together and get him up to speed with the team as quick as possible, and also for me, as well. I need to get up to speed.
“But yeah, really grateful for the opportunity, so thanks to Zak [Brown], Gavin [Ward], Tony [Kanaan], the whole team and NTT Data for letting me in the car. It’s going to be exciting.”
Ilott earned a pair of top-five finishes last season with JHR, and was able to regularly place his car in the top half of the field.
The 25-year-old also recently helped his Jota Sport team take second place overall in the opening WEC round this past weekend, with his sportscar schedule lining up nicely to allow him to return to the United States for a substitute drive in IndyCar.
Malukas’ recovery timeline is not a certainty, and he may well miss the upcoming $1 million challenge from The Thermal Club on March 24 as well.
He is expected to be healed in time for Long Beach, which takes place the weekend of April 21, when the 22-year-old can finally make his Arrow McLaren debut.
