Indy 500 driver Callum Ilott out at Juncos Hollinger Racing
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — British driver Callum Ilott and Juncos Hollinger Racing have mutually decided to part ways, the team announced Thursday afternoon.
The 24-year-old’s departure came a few weeks after Juncos Hollinger Racing and Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team announced plans to enter a strategic alliance. The teams said they consider the partnership, which begins in the 2024 season, to be a chance to develop potential engineers, mechanics and drivers.
Ilott signed with Juncos Hollinger Racing in 2021 to run the final three races of the IndyCar season.
In the 2022 Indianapolis 500, Ilott broke his right hand in a crash on Lap 69. He finished 32nd.
In May, he finished 12th in the Indianapolis 500 after starting in the No. 27 position. Ilott qualified for the race after he said he felt “unsafe” driving a new Dallara IR18 chassis, and the team was forced to put together a backup car in just over 12 hours.
Ilott gained media attention in April when a series of events caused teammate Agustín Canapino to crash while Ilott was leading his first IndyCar laps at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. The incident led to social media posts that IndyCar later decried as “disrespectful and inappropriate online abuse.”
In a social media post on Wednesday afternoon, Ilott wrote, “I greatly appreciate the opportunity that I had to step in to the world of IndyCar and be a part of building something from the ground up.”
“As for my future, my eyes are fully fixed on 2024 and the journey that follows.”
Ricardo Juncos, co-owner of Juncos Hollinger Racing, said in a statement, “While it is with mixed emotions that we bid farewell to Callum Ilott, I would like to express my gratitude to Callum for all of his efforts during his time with our team, and we deeply appreciate his contributions. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors. Callum has shown immense talent, and we have no doubt that he will continue to make his mark in the world of motorsport.”