Ilott, who drives for the Iron Lynx team in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, will get into the Alfa Romeo C41 for the opening practice session in Portimao – although it is not yet known whether he will replace Kimi Raikkonen or Antonio Giovinazzi in the Meeting.
The British driver, along with the regular reserve Robert Kubica, will perform his duties for Alfa Romeo, especially in races where Kubica is absent due to other commitments.
After driving for Alfa Romeo in the post-season F1 test in Abu Dhabi last year, Ilott has already gained experience with the team led by Sauber and will be “participating in a number of FP1 sessions” this year.
Ilott also tested for the team on the Barcelona circuit in 2019 and was supposed to play an FP1 game for Haas at last year’s Eifel Grand Prix before the bad weather dampened the races in that session.
“I am very excited to join the team this season and I would like to thank Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN and the Ferrari Driver Academy for the trust they have shown me,” said Ilott.
“The two sessions I’ve had with the team over the past two years have been extremely useful in getting used to the way a Formula 1 team works, and I’m confident that I will be in my new role as one of the reserve drivers can reach the ground underfoot at Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN.
“I can’t wait to sit in the car and help the team keep making progress.”
Callum Ilott, UNI-Virtuosi, leads Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Ilott finished second in the Formula 2 classification last season and landed behind his colleague Mick Schumacher from the Ferrari Driver Academy – when the German made a step into F1 with the Haas team.
Previously, Ilott finished third overall in GP3 in 2018 and moved up to F2 with the Charouz Racing System team, which was then part of the Sauber Junior program.
He moved to the UNI Virtuosi team last year to win the title. He was 14 points behind Master Schumacher and one point ahead of AlphaTauri F1 driver Yuki Tsunoda.
“I am very happy to welcome Callum to our team,” said Fred Vasseur, Team Principal of Alfa Romeo.
“His journey through the Junior Series has been impressive and he is without a doubt one of the most talented young riders to come through the ranks.
“He’s worked with us before and, thanks to his work ethic and good feedback, made a lasting impression every time. I don’t doubt that he will be a very positive addition to Robert Kubica who will not be available on various occasions due to his other racing programs.
“Callum will have a full program and we can’t wait to see him on the right track again this weekend.”
The post Ilott participates in Portimao FP1 as Alfa Romeo F1 Reserve first appeared on monter-une-startup.
