Photo: Formula Motorsport Limited
Ferrari Formula 1 test driver Callum Ilott will race one of the company’s sportscars in GT World Challenge Europe this year for Iron Lynx.
Ilott lost out on a promotion to an F1 seat after coming just short of the 2020 Formula 2 title, but Ferrari kept him on in its young driver programme and decided on a sportscar move for its British protege to accompany his new F1 role.
He will share a Ferrari 488 GT3 with the manufacturer’s simulator drivers Antonio Fuoco and Davide Rigon for all of GTWCE’s Endurance Cup races – which includes the Spa 24 Hours and Nurburgring 6 Hours.
Iron Lynx is an Italian team that also races in Formula 4 with technical support from Prema, and it will field two works Ferraris in GTWCE.
In addition to the five-round series, Ilott will be in action at at least one F1 grand prix weekend to make his free practice debut.
F2 rival Louis Deletraz raced in GTWCE Endurance last year part-time as well as making his Le Mans 24 Hours debut, and he is expected to return to both in 2021 as the prospects of a fifth season in GP2/F2 decrease. Euroformula champion Yifei Ye is also linked to a full-time sportscar move after recently winning the Asian Le Mans Series title.
The full Le Mans entry list is likely to be revealed next month, and will be the first time the Hypercar class has been present. Ferrari announced this week it would be making its own car to Hypercar regulations in 2023 to compete for overall Le Mans honours, and Ilott’s sportscar move has already made him one of the favourites to land a seat.