Juncos Hollinger Racing has announced the departure of Callum Ilott after two seasons with the NTT IndyCar Series team.
In a release, the team expressed its “regrets” that “after a period of collaboration and shared goals, both parties have mutually decided to part ways, effective immediately.”
Ilott had said Sept. 8 that “there’s no question” that he would return to the NTT IndyCar Series team in 2024. But two days later, he was involved in a late-race incident with teammate Agustin Canapino in the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Ilott finished fifth at Laguna Seca (tying a career best that he set in the 2023 season opener at St. Petersburg) but was embroiled in a social media firestorm afterward (after Canapino and team co-owner Ricardo Juncos both were critical of Ilott).
“While it is with mixed emotions that we bid farewell to Callum Ilott,” Juncos said in a release. “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.”
After a distinguished F2 career (finishing second in the 2020 points) in the Ferrari pipeline, Ilott joined JHR for the final three races of the 2021 season. He ranked 20th with the No. 77 Dallara-Chevrolet in the 2022 season and improved to 16th in the 2023 standings.
“My time at Juncos Hollinger Racing has come to an end,” Ilott, 24, posted on social media. “I would like to thank all the incredibly hard-working individuals within JHR for their huge effort and support since I joined them for the final three races in 2021. I greatly appreciate the opportunity that I had to step into the world of IndyCar and be a part of building something from the ground up. I wish them all the best for the future.
“As for my future, my eyes are fully fixed on 2024, and the journey that follows.”
— Callum Ilott (@callum_ilott) October 26, 2023
Said team co-owner Brad Hollinger: “While we bid farewell to Callum as a driver for Juncos Hollinger Racing, we wish him every success in his next chapter. We have no doubt that his talent and determination will continue to shine.”
JHR announced the 2024 return of Canapino last week, and the team “will provide updates regarding its driver lineup for the upcoming season in due course” for its second car.
