British · Born 1998 · #120 Porsche 911 GT3 R · Wright Motorsports · GTD Class
Callum Ilott finished second in the 2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship — one place away from the title — and was Ferrari's F1 reserve driver in 2021. That near-miss F1 career path eventually redirected to American racing: IndyCar in 2022, then GT racing with Wright Motorsports. Sebring brings two ex-near-F1-drivers — Ilott and co-driver Logan Sargent — together in the same car.
Callum Ilott was born in Cambridge, England in 1998, and developed through European karting and junior single-seater championships. His talent was recognized early enough to earn him a place in Ferrari's Driver Academy — the program that has developed and nurtured talent including Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jr., and others who made it to F1.
His 2020 Formula 2 season was exceptional — he won races, led the championship for periods, and ultimately finished second behind Mick Schumacher. Both the champion and runner-up that year were from legendary racing families, adding an extra narrative dimension to an already compelling season.
Ferrari made Ilott their official F1 reserve driver for 2021 — a prestigious role that involves testing the current car, attending races as the emergency substitute driver, and providing development feedback. It came with the hope but no guarantee of an F1 race seat. That seat never materialized in the form Ilott hoped for, and his career path changed direction.
Ilott made a bold decision to cross the Atlantic and race in IndyCar with Juncos Hollinger Racing in 2022. IndyCar is a competitive, high-profile championship, but the transition from European single-seater racing to oval and road course IndyCar is demanding. Ilott performed creditably, adapting to a style of racing quite different from anything in his European background.
The IndyCar experience gave Ilott American motorsport familiarity — the paddock culture, the circuits, the fan expectations, the media dynamics. When he subsequently transitioned to IMSA GT racing, he brought that North American experience with him, making him more than just a talented European driver parachuted into American racing.
Sharing the #120 Porsche 911 GT3 R with Logan Sargent (American, 40 F1 starts with Williams) and Jason Adelson, Ilott brings an interesting complement to the lineup. Two drivers with F1-adjacent backgrounds — Ilott as an F1 reserve, Sargent as a race driver — sharing a GT3 car in the GTD class represents an unusual concentration of near-F1 pedigree in a single entry.
For Ilott, Sebring represents a major endurance event on an American circuit with American teams and fans — exactly the environment he has been building experience in since his IndyCar move. The 12-hour format tests patience, judgment, and consistency across a time scale that single-seater racing never demands.
The Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) is Ferrari's talent pipeline for identifying and developing potential Formula 1 drivers. FDA alumni who made it to F1 include Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. Ilott's membership in the FDA, and his time as official Ferrari F1 reserve, placed him among the most rigorously assessed young talents in motorsport. Not making it to the F1 race seat doesn't diminish the quality that earned him that position.
FIA Formula 2 is the direct pathway to Formula 1, using spec Dallara cars with the same circuit calendar as F1. Only the F2 champion is guaranteed an F1 superlicense. Finishing second — as Ilott did in 2020 — demonstrates top-level talent but provides no automatic path upward. The F2 grid regularly features future F1 champions, race winners, and endurance racing stars, making it the world's most scrutinized junior series.