Callum Ilott will join Prema Racing for its debut season into the IndyCar Series in 2025, the team announced on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old Briton is a veteran of 38 IndyCar starts, which feature two top five finishes during his time with Juncos Hollinger Racing. Now, he is set to return to the Prema family, having initially driven for the junior formula giant in 2017 while competing in the Formula 3 European Championship, where he collected six victories, 11 podiums and 10 poles en route to fourth in the overall standings.
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Callum back with us for this new chapter of our history,” said team owner Rene Rosin.
“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.”
After parting ways with Juncos Hollinger Racing at the end of the 2023 season, Ilott spent this year running full-time in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Team Jota — earning a Hypercar victory in the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. He also competed in two races in a substitute role for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar this year, including the Indianapolis 500 where he finished 11th.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to experience IndyCar with Prema, their first steps in the series and in the US,” said Ilott, the 2020 Formula 2 championship runner-up.
“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.”
While Prema revealed last week it will have numbers 83 and 90 in IndyCar, it is not yet known which Ilott will be representing.
“We are really looking forward to welcoming Callum to our IndyCar team,” said Piers Phillips, CEO for Prema Racing’s IndyCar division.
“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.”