Callum Ilott may be spending his 2026 season tackling the IMSA SportsCar Championship with Wright Motorsports, but his sights remain firmly set on a return to the IndyCar Series paddock.
The 27-year-old British driver was left off the 2026 IndyCar grid following a turbulent off-season that saw PREMA Racing’s North American operation suffer a severe financial crisis and structural collapse. Compounded by the sudden departure of the founding Rosin family and a failure to secure a lucrative series charter, the team’s program dissolved, leaving Ilott without the seat he had rigorously built toward.
The setback came on the heels of a strong 2025 IndyCar campaign, where Ilott spearheaded PREMA’s inaugural season in the #83 Chevrolet. Despite the steep learning curve of a start-up team, Ilott closed out the year on a tear, rattling off four top-10 finishes over the final five rounds, including a pair of sixth-place drives. Despite his full-time commitment to IMSA this year, Ilott has remained a constant fixture in the IndyCar paddock, actively laying the groundwork for a comeback in 2027.
“Yeah, I’ve been to every race so far, except for Mid-Ohio,” Ilott told Motorsport.com. “Obviously, there’ve been a few accidents this year and a few broken bones, but a lot of perseverance [by those drivers]. I have been working behind the scenes to try and put the best package together and be appealing to teams.
“There’s a few good potential prospects and I think it’s coming to the time where these things are going to be ironed out and lined up. I don’t want to rule out anything, including IMSA and WEC (FIA World Endurance Championship). Because at the end of the day, this has been good for me and my career to be racing at IMSA this year.
“But at the same time, I love IndyCar and I enjoy the environment. I’ve based my life around it the last four or five years, even in the year that I was doing WEC. I’d love to give it one more shot and I think I deserve it.”
#120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911: Adam Adelson, Callum Ilott, Harry King
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Lumen via Getty Images
Overperforming the Odds
Ilott’s resume across single-seaters and sports cars is formidable. The 2020 FIA Formula 2 runner-up to Mick Schumacher, currently a rookie in IndyCar with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, subsequently served as Scuderia Ferrari’s Formula 1 test and reserve driver in 2021. He then pivoted across the Atlantic, spending 2021 through 2023 with Juncos Hollinger Racing, where he repeatedly overperformed in underfunded machinery – highlighted by a front-row start at Laguna Seca, fifth-place finishes at St. Petersburg and Laguna Seca, and a 12th-place finish at the 2023 Indianapolis 500.
Interspersed between his IndyCar runs, Ilott demonstrated elite sports car credentials. In 2024, he competed in WEC’s Hypercar class for Hertz Team JOTA, driving the #12 Porsche 963 alongside Will Stevens and Norman Nato to a marquee victory at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
That background of elevating start-up operations into steady contenders is the cornerstone of Ilott’s pitch for 2027.
“With having run full-time with only new teams and been able to be in the Leaders Circle every year, put in some great top-10 results and develop these teams from the ground up, I think it’s a shame to be overlooked,” Ilott emphasized. “Like I said, I’ve been working behind the scenes to put a package together that makes me a more appealing option as well.
“Just to add to that, in the rookie season, I remember qualifying second at Laguna next to Will Power on the front row. I was a single-car team, no teammate. Every teammate I’ve had is a rookie and I haven’t been able to, other than the two or three races I did with McLaren, I haven’t been able to learn from some of the best in the series and still managed to pull out some good results.”
Callum Ilott, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
Photo by: Josh Tons / Motorsport Images
Timeline and Sports Car Alternatives
As the IndyCar silly season approaches its peak, Ilott is keeping a realistic watch on the market clock, while acknowledging that his decision window is closing rapidly.
“Not really,” Ilott said when asked if he had a hard deadline. “There’s a good chance, a good probability. Those options are becoming clear. If they fade away and I see the chances dwindling, I think I’ll move to some other stuff.
“Really, I’d love everything to be done as soon as possible. I think I should start to know in the next two weeks. Ideally, the end of the IndyCar season is the target to get stuff done.”
Should a top-tier IndyCar seat fail to materialize, Ilott’s ties to North American sports car racing remain strong. Having established his residence in the United States, he remains open to staying in North America across GTP, LMP2, or GTD categories in IMSA, or returning to WEC Hypercar competition.
“Honestly, I think all options are on the table,” Ilott said. “I’m happy and interested to do GTD again. I love the LMP2 car, and GTP for my career and the pace that I’ve had in that would be great.
“I think there’s a couple of options, but the market is quite tough at the moment. Obviously, with some new manufacturers coming in, but some others going out, I’m sure some decisions are made, but there’s still some openings left. I’m open at the moment to everything. My kind of life and living situation is out here. I really enjoy it in the States. I’m open to everything.”
Ultimately, whether his path leads back to the IndyCar grid or deeper into top-line sports car programs, Ilott’s primary motivation remains simple.
“I want to f***ing race,” he said. “I like racing. At the end of the day, wherever it is competitive is good fun. I enjoy driving whatever it is, even if it’s a golf buggy. I hope they pay well if you’re racing golf buggies. I’m just excited to race and be out here. Anything is good.”
