Ilott Stepping In For Malukas During IndyCar Opener
Callum Ilott will drive for Arrow McLaren in lieu of the injured David Malukas this weekend in St. Petersburg, Fla. (McLaren Racing photo)
INDIANAPOLIS – Callum Ilott has been tabbed to fill in for the injured David Malukas at Arrow McLaren for the NTT IndyCar Series’ season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
The team led by Chairman Zak Brown, team principal Gavin Ward, and general manager Brian Barnhart made the announcement Tuesday in advance of the race weekend on the streets of Florida’s fifth-largest city.
Ilott, 25, takes the reins of the No. 6 Chevrolet from Malukas as the latter continues to recover from surgery to his left wrist, which was injured in a mountain biking incident in early February.
Malukas’ anticipated recovery time was six weeks as of Feb. 22, which could put the 22-year-old from Chicago, Ill., in line to return for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 21.
However, team officials said in a statement that they would “continue to evaluate options for [the] driver lineup for future tests and races as David recovers.”
Ilott made 39 NTT IndyCar Series starts for Juncos Hollinger Racing since the start of 2021, including full-season efforts in each of the last two years, earning a total of five top-10 finishes.
He tied his career-best finish of fifth during last year’s finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., and also earned his highest finish in the Indy car point standings in 2023, placing 16th.
The British driver also turned laps with Arrow McLaren during the recent hybrid test at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on Feb. 21, alongside teammates Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi.
In addition to his recent time in the NTT IndyCar Series, Ilott also has experience in the Formula One ladder system, placing second to Mick Schumacher in the 2020 Formula 2 championship and spending time as a test driver for Scuderia Ferrari and a reserve driver for Alfa Romeo (now Sauber) in 2021.
Ilott began his climb in international motorsports as a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy.
The NTT IndyCar Series season kicks off March 10 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Broadcast coverage of the race airs at noon ET on NBC, Peacock, and the IndyCar Radio Network.
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