The Alfa Romeo Racing Formula 1 team has appointed Callum Ilott as its second Reserve Driver for the 2021 season. The English Ferrari Driver Academy member thus joins Robert Kubica in the Swiss based team, as the Polish driver has Endurance racing commitments that clash with some of the F1 races. Ilott will also get the opportunity to drive the C41 in some Friday free practice sessions, starting with the first hour of this weekend’s Portuguese Grand Prix, which will prove useful in increasing his level of experience in the highest category of motor racing.
Precedent. Callum thus strengthens his relationship with Alfa Romeo Racing, which dates back to 2019, when the youngster from Cambridge took part in the Young Driver Test, the week following the Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit. He also drove for the team at the Abu Dhabi test at the end of last year. “I’m very happy and I can’t wait to start working with the team,” commented Callum. “I’d like to thank Alfa Romeo Racing and the Ferrari Driver Academy for having made this possible, as I think nothing can replace the experience one can gain from spending a race weekend in the pit garage.”
Busy season. Today’s announcement completes Ilott’s 2021 programme. Apart from working with Alfa Romeo Racing, Callum who finished second in last year’s Formula 2 championship, is also Scuderia Ferrari’s Test Driver, which involves working in the simulator and driving a car from past seasons, as was the case last week, when he and Mick Schumacher got behind the wheel of the 2018 SF71H. Callum is also racing this season, as he and two other Scuderia drivers, Davide Rigon and Antonio Fuoco, are competing in the GT World Challenge Endurance Cup. They are taking part part in the five rounds of the championship at the wheel of the Iron Lynx team’s Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020. The season got underway on 18 April with the 3 Hours of Monza in which Callum, Antonio and Davide finished third.