Firestone Grand Prix Of St. Petersburg: New Pairings Set Stage In NTT INDYCAR SERIES Opener

Firestone Grand Prix Of St. Petersburg: New Pairings Set Stage In NTT INDYCAR SERIES Opener

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES roared to life on March 02, 2025, with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, kicking off a 17-race season filled with anticipation. The Motorsports Journal team spotlighted several intriguing driver-team combinations poised to disrupt the established order, bringing fresh dynamics to a grid dominated by titans like Team Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing, and Andretti Global. As the streets of St. Petersburg came alive with the sound of engines, these pairings hinted at a season of surprises.

Key Driver-Team Pairings to Watch in 2025

Alexander Rossi now carries his veteran savvy to Ed Carpenter Racing, marking his latest chapter under Chevrolet power after stints with Andretti Global and Arrow McLaren. Known for his 2016 Indianapolis 500 triumph, Rossi’s ability to adapt to new machinery and team cultures positions him as a driver to watch. His experience could prove pivotal, especially when the series rolls into Indy in May.

Christian Lundgaard stepping into Rossi’s former seat at Arrow McLaren, arrives with a point to prove. The Danish driver flashed potential during his Rookie of the Year campaign with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing but struggled to convert starts into podiums. With Arrow McLaren’s resources and Chevrolet backing, Lundgaard might finally unlock the consistency needed to challenge the frontrunners.

Rinus VeeKay trades Ed Carpenter Racing for Dale Coyne Racing, stepping into a lead role at a team hungry for results. The Dutchman’s occasional brilliance—highlighted by a win at Indianapolis in 2021—has yet to translate into sustained success. If Dale Coyne Racing can harness VeeKay’s raw speed, 2025 could mark his breakout year.

Callum Ilott returns to INDYCAR with PREMA Racing, a powerhouse stepping into the series for the first time. With 38 starts and five top-10 finishes from his earlier tenure, Ilott brings a knack for guiding new teams, honed during his time with Juncos Hollinger Racing. PREMA’s pedigree in junior formulas suggests they could hit the ground running, and Ilott’s steady hand might steer them toward early success.

David Malukas joins AJ Foyt Racing alongside Santino Ferrucci, eager to rewrite a career narrative interrupted by misfortune. A rising star in INDY NXT, Malukas saw his Arrow McLaren opportunity slip away last year after a wrist injury from a bicycle accident sidelined him. Now healthy and paired with a team looking to climb the standings, he aims to showcase the talent that once marked him as a future star.

These drivers, each with a blend of untapped potential and fierce determination, entered St. Petersburg ready to challenge the status quo. Could they upset the dominance of Penske, Ganassi, and Andretti? The season opener offered the first clues.

Scott Dixon, Alex Palou and Josef Newgarden - Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Image Credit: Chris Owens via Penske Entertainment (2025)

Race Recap: Drama Unfolds in St. Petersburg

The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg wasted no time delivering chaos. On the opening lap, a Turn 3 pileup set the tone: Arrow McLaren’s rookie Nolan Siegel collided with Team Penske’s Will Power, whose car then collected Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s debutant Louis Foster. The incident underscored the tight margins of street-circuit racing and left teams scrambling to adjust strategies.

While the top nine cars - led by the likes of Team Penske's pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin, Meyer Shank Racing's teammates Felix Rosenqvist, and Marcus Armstrong - opted to stay out during the ensuing caution, a group including Herta, Newgarden, Dixon, Alex Palou, Kyle Kirkwood, Rinus VeeKay, and Marcus Ericsson dove into the pits. Swapping their mandatory soft-compound Firestone tires for the harder primary compound, these drivers banked on early stops to gain track position later. The split strategies hinted at a tactical chess match unfolding across the 100-lap race.

For the spotlighted pairings, the opener provided a mixed bag. Rossi’s experience with Ed Carpenter Racing kept him in contention among the leaders, while Lundgaard navigated the chaos at Arrow McLaren with a steady debut. VeeKay’s early pit call at Dale Coyne Racing showed promise, though he’d need to claw back positions. Ilott and PREMA Racing avoided the Turn 3 mess, quietly building momentum, while Malukas at AJ Foyt Racing fought to stay in the midfield pack, shaking off rust from his time away.

As the checkered flag loomed, the race tested these new alliances under pressure. All the while, established teams asserted their early dominance - Penske’s Newgarden and Ganassi’s Dixon looked poised for strong finishes - the fresh pairings offered glimpses of what might come. The St. Petersburg streets, unforgiving as ever, served notice: 2025 could be a season where new names will have trouble rising to the fore.

Despite early shake-ups and strategic plays, the established stars prevailed. Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou, after 138 days since his 2024 season Championship victory, kicked off the season with another dominant win - setting the stage for an unprecedented fourth season championship in the title march of three-time and two-time defending series champion Alex Palou.

His Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon followed in P2 with a last lap pass due to Josef Newgarden's car was falling short of fuel, while Team Penske’s teammates Josef Newgarden and pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin finished P3 and P4, respectively.

Andretti Global drivers Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson rounded out the top six, solidifying their team’s competitive standing early in the season.

Key Driver-Team Pairings Opening Race Finishes

P8 - Christian Lundgaard - No. 7 Arrow Mclaren Chevrolet
P9 - Rinus VeeKay - No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda
P10 - Alexander Rossi - No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
P13 - David Malukas - No. 4 AJ Foyt Chevrolet
P19 - Callum Ilott - No. 90 PREMA Racing Chevrolet

While these established young challengers with new teams showed promise, the season opener proved that the established frontrunners remain the teams to beat. With 16 races still to go, will this new wave of talent find their breakthrough moment? Stay tuned.

... notes from The EDJE

Post Script:
The numbers are in for FOX’s first INDYCAR Series broadcast, and the audience who watched Alex Palou and Josef Newgarden battle for victory was measured at 1.417 million viewers, a steep increase from last year’s race. Using the previous St. Petersburg race as a guide, the live 2024 broadcast with previous network partner on NBC generated an audience of 974,700 combined viewers using the TAD (Total Audience Delivery) metric that includes live streaming. FOX does not use TAD.

In the move to FOX, INDYCAR received an audience increase of 442,300 viewers, and according to the broadcaster, this ranks as the most-watched INDYCAR race on network television (outside the Indy 500) in 14 years. Minus streaming info, FOX Sports also reported Friday’s airing of opening practice on its FOX Sports 1 cable channel had 95,000 viewers. The strong viewership signals a promising start for INDYCAR’s new broadcast era, amplifying the spotlight on both its established stars and rising talents.

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix on Sunday, March 23 at Thermal, California (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).



TAGS: NTT, INDYCAR SERIES, Firestone Grand Prix Of St. Petersburg, FOX Sports, Christian Lundgaard, Rinus VeeKay, Alexander Rossi, David Malukas, Callum Ilott, The EDJE

FIRST Full Season In The Hybrid Technology Era Of The NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Chip Ganassi Racing's then two-time champion Alex Palou leads the field out in his Green & White No. 10 Dallara Honda on the first lap of the second and final Heat of the made for TV The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge non-points paying race in Coachella Valley near Indio. He went on to win the race, money, and eventually his third series season championship. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks - Motorsports Journal (2024)

FIRST Full Season In The Hybrid Technology Era Of The NTT INDYCAR SERIES

The 2025 season will feature 27 full time competitors from 11 different teams with the usual mash-up of drivers changing teams and past drivers with INDYCAR experience being able to rejoin the field.

One of the early notable races for points will be the addition of The THERMAL Club. the two previous years had the special private road track be a pre-season test bed followed with the next year having a non-points paying contest designed for TV "Heats" format race, including a large purse for the drivers to compete for. 

The race scheduled for the weekend starting Friday, March 21 through March 23, 2025, is the second race of the season after the tradition of Saint Petersburg, Florida. One has to assume that this too, will be a "Heats" format race - not the best look for an open wheel series on a dedicated road track.

Sometimes, what's best, it is good to preview official communications portals in order to get a gage on this upcoming season and the challenges that will confront the 27 driver field this season. As usual, the two lead dogs in terms of teams will again be Chip Ganassi Racing with Scott Dixon, Alex Palou and Kyffin Simpson versus Team Penske with Will Power, Josef Newgarden, and Scott McLaughlin.

NTT INDYCAR Preview - Inside Line: What’s Under the Radar at St. Pete?

Today’s question NTT INDYCAR Preview: What is something under the radar to keep an eye on this weekend in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (noon ET Sunday, FOX, FOX Deportes, INDYCAR Radio Network)?

Curt Cavin: I keep asking myself, who is the next big thing in this series? In a season-opening race with loads of faces in new places, I keep coming back to Christian Lundgaard joining Arrow McLaren. I’m not ready to say the 23-year Dane can win Sunday’s race, but he has a street circuit victory in this series – in Toronto in 2023 – and has raced well in St. Petersburg (two top-11 finishes with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing). In this season opener, Lundgaard will drive for an organization that has excelled in St. Petersburg the past two years. Pato O’Ward finished second in 2023 and won last year’s race; Alexander Rossi finished fourth and sixth, respectively.

Eric Smith: I feel like I’ve been on the Scott Dixon storyline all offseason, and I’d be remiss if I stopped entering the 2025 season opener. Remarkably, Dixon has reached victory lane 58 times at 28 different tracks but is 0-for-20 on the streets of St. Petersburg. However, the six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion has four podium finishes in his last eight starts on this track, and his seventh-place finish last season continued his streak of finishing eighth or better every year since 2016. Also, among the last seven victories for Dixon, four have come on city streets (Toronto 2022, Nashville 2023, Long Beach 2024, Detroit 2024). The Chip Ganassi Racing driver boasted a series-leading 3.0 average finish on street tracks last season. Add it up, and I think he’s primed to earn his fourth season-opening victory, joining 2003 and again in 2008 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to go along with 2020 at Texas Motor Speedway. He won three of his six championships in those seasons.

Paul Kelly: There are two “under the radar” stories I’m watching this weekend, mainly due to competition tweaks and how they will affect team’s strategies. One is the switch in Firestone’s weekend tire allotment at each event, as each team will get an additional set of Firestone Firehawk alternate-compound tires and one less set of Firestone Firehawk primary-compound tires, with five sets each. This may force teams to manage their tires more carefully over the weekend, especially at circuits where the primaries show an advantage. But the main “down low” story I’m watching is the ability for cars to restart on track – and now in the pits – without the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team due to the new hybrid units. There was only one street course race last season after the hybrid debuted in July at Mid-Ohio, at Toronto, so we really haven’t seen how fewer yellows at fraught, bumpy street circuits like St. Pete will change team’s fuel and tire strategies. But there is almost one certainty: The onboard starters will create more green flag action, something everyone wants.

ENDS

On a full season basis, here are the thoughts of two longtime paddock cruisers with their view upon what to expect - IndyStar's Nathan Brown and Joey Barnes, Founder - Motorsports Tribune. 

The Inside Line - Nathan Brown and Joey Barnes

In this episode of The Inside Line, Nathan Brown and Joey Barnes roll through each of the 11 full-time IndyCar teams on the grid in 2025 and ask their biggest questions facing them this season.

We at Motorsports Journal have a tremendous level of hope for a few mixes that have presented themselves with regards to teams and drivers combining to maybe shake things up.

Alexander Rossi - moving from Andretti Global to Arrow McLaren and now with his first year driving for long term owner/driver Ed Carpenter for Chevrolet. This mix can prove to be one of the biggest sleepers, especially at the INDY500.

Christian Lundgaard - stepping into the seat left vacant when Rossi decided to move on from Arrow McLaren. It was a shame that his promise didn't fully show itself when he was a Rookie Of The Year with RLL, but there were serious flashes of top-flight light.

Rinus Veekay - while losing a seat at Ed Carpenter Racing, Rinus lands as the primary driver at Dale Coyne Racing. More flashes of INDYCAR Rookie Of The Year verve left unrealized may get a magic vision for this Dutch talent.

Callum Ilott - a driver who left the series after 38 races yet managed 5 top 10s is returning with a first time NTT INDYCAR SERIES team with PREMA Racing. He has experience with teams efforts that are new to a series. His first exposure was driving a second car for then new Juncos Hollinger Racing. PREMA is new to INDYCAR, but not new as a racing organization. This F1 

David Malukas - this INDY NXT standout blew his grand chance last year to be with a top team when he landed a seat with Arrow McLaren, but broke his wrist in a bicycle accident and could not race until it healed. Arrow McLaren released him just after he was cleared and for 2025, he will be a teammate on AJ Foyt - Santino Ferrucci. Will he pop-up and deliver his hidden promise?

These drivers are all the hidden promises within a field of excellent standout drivers of accomplishment - will they break on through? The first race of a 17 event season begins this weekend with the new broadcast partner FOX Sports.

Christian Lundgaard's Arrow McLaren as it flashes by while testing at Sebring, Florida.
Image Credit: Chris Owens via NICS (2025)

As commented when someone on FB/META asked "Who is your pick to win St. Pete this weekend?" Motorsports Journal responded "Just throwin' a dart here - Arrow McLaren driver Christian Lundgaard."

... notes from The EDJE

FEATURED SYNDICATION - click image >>>

TAGS: 2025, NTT, INDYCAR SERIES, Championship, IndyStar, Joey Barnes, Nathan Brown, Will Buxton, Christian Lundgaard, Alexander Rossi, David Malukas, Callum Ilott, Rinus Veekay, The EDJE

Arrow McLaren Taps Callum Ilott To Cover The Malukas No. 6 Chevy For St. Pete INDYCAR Season Opener

Two and one-half year NTT INDYCAR veteran who could not find the right deal for his services after concluding the 2023 season with Juncos Hollinger Racing, found a seat with Jota Sport hypercar in the WEC in Europe then someone got injured. David Malukas needs to heal from an off season injury so Arrow McLaren found the next best temporary shoe. Welcome back UK driver Callum Ilott. Image Credit: ZOOM Call Screengrab Edmund Jenks (2024)

Arrow McLaren Taps Callum Ilott To Cover The Malukas No. 6 Chevy For St. Pete INDYCAR Season Opener

Arrow McLaren announced Tuesday, March 5th, 2024 that Callum Ilott will be taking the wheel for the upcoming Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, stepping in for the injured David Malukas in the No. 6 Dallara-Chevrolet. Malukas, who underwent surgery on his left wrist following a mountain biking accident, is expected to be out of action for approximately six weeks.

In their official statement, Arrow McLaren noted that they are still assessing their options for future tests and races as Malukas recuperates. The team anticipates David's return to coincide with early April, prior to the Grand Prix of Long Beach but following the $1 Million Challenge exhibition race on March 24 at The Thermal Club.

 

NTT INDYCAR SERIES News Conference

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Callum Ilott - Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: The 2024 NTT INDYCAR Series season begins this weekend in the Streets of St. Petersburg for the annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding.

Arrow McLaren just moments ago announcing their driver for the No. 6 NTT Data Chevrolet this weekend as Callum Ilott makes his return to the series. This Sunday will mark Callum's 37th career NTT INDYCAR Series start and a return to the Streets of St. Pete where he finished fifth last year after starting 22nd.

Callum, thanks for hopping on with us quickly after the announcement here today. Your thoughts about returning to St. Pete, now driver of the No. 6 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren?

CALLUM ILOTT: Thank you for having me. It's great to be back. It's great to the back in the NTT Series and getting on with it with the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Really excited. It's a great race to come in for.

First off, I feel really bad for David. I hope he gets a speedy recovery and gets back in the car soon. I think he's coming to the race. We'll get to work together and get him up to speed with the team as quick as possible, and also for me, as well, I need to get up to speed.

But yeah, really grateful for the opportunity, so thanks to Zak, Gavin, Tony, the whole team and NTT Data for letting me in the car. It's going to be exciting.

Also got to give a thanks to Hertz Team Jota for allowing me to do this race. I'm very pumped to get going and give this orange car a go, or papaya.

Q. Just returning from the World Endurance Championship, finished second, so quick flight, quick turnaround, different machinery. Is your head spinning right now or do you think you'll settle in once you get to St. Pete?

CALLUM ILOTT: I don't know what continent I'm on, what time zone, but I'm ready to go, as always. But yeah, we had a great race, finished second. Yeah, solid weekend in the World Endurance Championship, so that was a great start to the year. Really enjoyed it.

Got on a plane, stopped off in the UK, collected some stuff, and flew straight on to Indy where I am now. I'm in the shop getting some last-minute prep, took some photos for you guys this morning, and off we go.

Q. Just curious, we all know that with INDYCAR, it's roughly somewhat of a spec series for the most part, but there is a difference in team size and personnel, et cetera. With that, that experience at Juncos, coming into this opportunity, where is the head space in relation to that? Where do you look at how big of an opportunity this is compared to what you had the past two years, the equipment difference, et cetera?

CALLUM ILOTT: To be honest, it's a bit of a discovery process because obviously I did the hybrid test, but I've only been in the shop for one or two days now.

The size of the team obviously is larger and more years of experience within the series, but I can't really comment on that until during the race weekend and experiencing it on that side of a full scale. Obviously it's great. The preparation is good even though I've kind of had to be in Qatar and full focus on that. But now it's obviously full focus on St. Pete.

That's increasing and ramping up, and I'm excited to see what the full scale of the operation is.

Q. When you're still kind of in, as you say, a discovery process of kind of learning some of those integral parts of the team, do you have personal expectations this weekend that might be different than what you might have had in years past, because as we know, a top 5 in a Juncos car is going to be a mega run. What are you looking at with the scope of this opportunity?

CALLUM ILOTT: It's a brand new year for everyone, so of course you don't know exactly where to start off. But in the history of Arrow McLaren, they've always been very, very strong, and St. Pete last year was also very strong.

Yeah, think there's all the opportunity to do a good job, but my focus at the end of the day is filling in and doing a solid job and leaving the weekend with no complaints. If I can be fast and up there, great. If I can finish the race and get some good points for them, that's also the goal.

Let's see where it goes into FP1, qualifying, and then the race.

Q. First of all, how important is it to you as an opportunity to really prove yourself that you can fit in at a top team with this opportunity? How important is it to just validate the work that you've done at Juncos and prove that it was a really high level that you were showing there?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, I mean, I think it kind of goes without saying that every racing driver wants to prove what they can do, and this is a perfect opportunity to do it. The test at Homestead went really well. So far gearing up to this weekend, it's all going very smoothly.

I fit in quite well in a last-minute situation. Again, I wish David all the best and he gets to be in the car as soon as possible, but I'll try and do the best job that I can within that time.

It's obviously an interesting place to be and an interesting place to see what I can do, but again, I can't really comment until I get on there, but that's the goal, right, to do as well as possible.

Q. You told us that you were going to try and be around the paddock a bit. Have you got any more info as to whether there will be other opportunities later in the year beyond this chance here to deputize at McLaren, or is it still a case of seeing what comes up?

CALLUM ILOTT: Well, I think the plan of being around and maybe jumping in a car came sooner than expected, so obviously that kind of -- I don't want to say wish, but idea has come early.

Yeah, I'll see what happens. I'm obviously quite busy with the World Endurance Championship throughout the year, but if I can make some races, we'll see what happens. But I'm around, and I'll be looking about for sure.

Q. Just a couple questions for you. Obviously in the NTT INDYCAR Series everybody gets to this level fast. They're talented race car drivers. I'm curious from a race car driver's perspective, what are some intangibles that a driver can show the team that maybe isn't reflected on a speed chart or race results, something maybe you can do behind the scenes that maybe the outside world aren't aware of?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, I mean, results are obviously a very global, quick look at what amount of effort goes into the world of sports and motorsports, and that's the thing that at the end of the day everyone wants to see.

I mean, if I look in hindsight -- if I look back at my career in INDYCAR, it was spent in a single-car team which moved to a dual-car team, and we got some amazing results in that environment and built something up from the ground. Sometimes that gets overlooked because at the end of the day results is the most important thing.

But I think that kind of work, you know how much effort you put into get that environment to the place that it is.

But overall, yeah, everyone is working super hard in every environment that they're in. I can't say that what I do or did personally is any more or any less than anyone else, but I know the efforts that I've put in in different places, and I think this is one of those little -- well, quite big rewards to get to fill in for.

Q. What is kind of the mindset or confidence level going into a ride -- obviously this isn't a full-time seat for you. You can't not be aggressive in a series as high as the INDYCAR Series, but I'm sure you don't want to make any enemies because this could be an audition for the entire paddock. How do you balance that behind the wheel this coming weekend?

CALLUM ILOTT: I think in terms of the friends, enemies type of thing, I've done two and a half years almost in this series, and people know what I am. I think in terms of one race, I'm not going to create any problems on that side.

Looking at it, yeah, my full-term commitment this year is in WEC, and that's where my full mind is, and I'm enjoying that a lot so far. We had a great start to the year.

In my books, I've already checked off a podium on that side, and I'm just looking forward to keeping the momentum and the speed with these guys here at Arrow McLaren.

Q. It's kind of a discovery process this weekend, but race rhythm is a thing, and you just raced last weekend. As you mentioned, you got a podium. You finished fifth there last year. McLaren has got good street course cars. What is the immediate goal? Do you feel a podium or top 5 is something that's achievable this weekend? Do you feel like you can use last weekend -- granted, it's a sports car, not an INDYCAR, but you've already been in race rhythm. Is that something you can use to your advantage this weekend?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, honestly, I'm in a very good space this year. I've had a great off-season, and actually kind of -- even though it's been a bit crazy the last couple weeks, a great buildup to my weekend in Qatar.

I think in looking at it, the test at Homestead helped me a lot to get the ball rolling actually in Qatar, and I think vice versa. Coming from there, I had six out of seven days on track -- maybe five out of six days on track coming here to St. Pete.

I think I'll be ready to go in terms of results. It's very difficult to say. Yes, I was competitive there last year in the race, and you'd hope that that would continue, and that's the goal. In terms of the extent of that, I don't know. We've got to see.

Really, again, like I said on the discovery side, there's a lot to learn and know, and I think a few questions will be answered by the end of the weekend.

Q. The release from the team says it's only specific to St. Pete. Have you been told or have you had any discussions about this going beyond St. Pete if David remains out for say Thermal?

CALLUM ILOTT: I think it all depends on David. Obviously he's got to -- well, you can't really work to get better, but you've got to be in the position to get better, so I hope he recovers as quickly as possible.

I am available for Thermal, but again, that's a later point whether we'll know if that's the case or not. We'll see what happens with David and the team and for the future.

Q. The initial release when Malukas was hurt indicated he could be back right before Long Beach, but I notice the WEC schedule has quite a gap past that. I know this is speculative, but if this goes well this weekend, are you thinking as long as David is out, you could be Arrow McLaren's guy in this car?

CALLUM ILOTT: I don't want to say it at all like that. I think WEC is the priority for me, and it will be for the near future.

Of course if I'm available and what's needed is me, for example, then of course I'm open to doing it.

We'll have to see what happens on that side. But I pray for David that that's not the case because you want to be in the car and you want to work with your team. I hope that he is in the car very soon because it's very tough -- I can understand -- even for me, the one race I did out of the car after the 500 in 2022, it's tough to sit and watch. I don't really wish that on anyone, especially with a new team. It's very tough.

I do feel for David, and again, want him to be in the car as soon as possible.

Q. Presuming he is back for Long Beach but this goes really well this weekend and maybe you turn some heads, I know you said you're committed to WEC this year, but beyond that if there are gaps in the schedule and you get approached by INDYCAR teams, are you treating it as you're kind of available for hire as needed?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, of course it's all up for discussion. There's a limit to what you can do in terms of travel. Of course everything has fit in quite well. I had to miss a Sebring test for the WEC stuff, but in the end the WEC race was quite good. I made the right decision on that side to -- oh, and we had the prologue moved, as well, so it wouldn't have happened anyway.

But of course if there is availability and communication goes that way, there's no reason to say no.

Q. You just mentioned it, the WEC opener obviously went outstanding for you and your team, and I think you were fastest in one of the prologue sessions, as well. I know it's a different discipline, but how much confidence did that give you to be back on the podium, to be fastest in a practice session, coming back here to INDYCAR? We all know you've shown you can contend in INDYCAR, but coming off of that great WEC showing, does that give you more confidence coming into St. Pete?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, I think so. It's been a few years, I said on an Instagram post, that I haven't been on the podium, and I know that that was always possible. I think the prologue, we came out of that P2. Qualifying in Hyper pole P3 and P3, and then the race P2, splitting the Penskes. It was a very impressive first race. The team did an amazing job and was very competitive.

I think we wish we could have got a little more out of there because P1 is always something that you want to get, but I think it was the first Hypercar podium that we had achieved as a team, and yeah, I'm really looking forward to carrying the momentum.

It's been refreshing. It's nice to go into an environment and hit the ground running, and it's also an environment that I kind of grew up in a little bit, a little bit more, so I'm hoping to bring the momentum here and see what I can do.

Q. Was curious to know how this came about. Did Zak reach out to you or was it Gavin?

CALLUM ILOTT: I think it was a bit more mutual in that sense. Obviously I saw the news -- I was actually coming out to Indy anyway for some more admin apartment stuff, and then I was going to drop away quickly, or sooner than I expected. Then I think a day or two later, the seat fit was happening, and then I think we were kind of like moving step by step on that side.

There were some things and logistics that needed to be sorted out, obviously, as it's not an easy one to deal with last minute, especially as I'm now no longer in the U.S. full time, and to be honest, I think it was with Tony that the first contact was made.

But yeah, I reached out, and it was kind of like, let's see what we can do and how we can make this work.

Q. I'm pretty sure you got to do the test. How did you feel after that?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, it was good. It was great to be back in a car. Been two or three months since I --

Q. Just physically how did it feel?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, it was good. Honestly, I did I think like 139 laps, then got straight on a plane to the UK, stopped off, got my helmet for the WEC stuff and flew to Qatar. Pretty busy, but I felt good, straight on the pace. It was like I had kind of never jumped out.

I've been driving constantly since, so I should be ready for St. Pete, no issues.

Q. Do you still have your apartment in Indianapolis?

CALLUM ILOTT: I do. I kind of extended it two weeks before I kind of knew my fate at the end of last year, so it cost me a bit more to get rid of it early, so it was actually quite convenient because I get to use it now.

Q. Having worked with the team, albeit very briefly, how beneficial is that to you going to St. Pete knowing that it's not completely brand new for you this weekend?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, it was really important to do the test, even though, yeah, I felt like I kind of hit the ground running. There's always stuff that you need to learn and how the environment works together. At the end of the day, it's such a competitive series, so any little edge you can get is good.

Yeah, it really worked out well in the timing. Of course I would have loved to do Sebring, as well, to get some more info, especially in the non-hybrid car. But yeah, it worked out super well. I'm excited to get going, and obviously they have a great history within INDYCAR, so it can only be easier with that, I would say.

Q. Have you had an opportunity to talk with Ryan-Hunter about this opportunity, and if you have, what kind of advice did he give you?

CALLUM ILOTT: No, I haven't. No, I haven't been able to speak to him.

Motorsports Journal Edmund Jenks

Q. It strikes me you were the experienced person on the previous team you were at, and now you're going to be joining a paddock that's chock full of experience. How do you feel that that's going to be come St. Pete, working with the people in the paddock, the other drivers that are easily equal? What do you expect?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, I think coming into the environment at Arrow McLaren is going to be interesting for me. It's a lot to learn. It's a bigger environment to what I was used to previously. Also to be next to Alex and to Pato is going to be cool to compare. I have a lot of respect for both of them. They're both very fast.

It's going to be good. There's going to be lots to learn. Hopefully my progress through the weekend should improve, and hopefully I can join them for a good result and good points.

Q. You've raced against these guys before, a good solid season plus. What do you think you'll be marching into in terms of learning more from them?

CALLUM ILOTT: Well, Pato is known for his speed, so that's always something that you're going to be chasing and trying to find. Alex has a lot of experience within the series. His race craft and race pace is always very strong.

I hope to learn on the racing side before we come to the race, see what little things I can find. But even afterwards, it's probably good to compare and see where you gain, where you lose, and even if it's before the weekend or after the weekend, there's a lot as a driver that you can bring with you for the future.

Q. Do you think you might get softer elbows out on the track?

CALLUM ILOTT: Well, we'll see. To be fair, I love the INDYCAR racing. It's hard but fair. St. Pete is always one that is where people get their elbows out. But at the end of the day, I proved last year that sometimes being a bit more careful in situations brings you a better finish?

So we'll have to see. It depends on the situation.

ENDS

Q. Obviously being a reserve driver you're in a situation where it's essentially an audition for other part-time rides. Do you see yourself being able to secure any other part-time gigs throughout the season, whether it's in the Indy 500 or anything else that may arise in 2024, or is this solely for 2023 at this point in terms of looking for other deals?

CALLUM ILOTT: To be honest, I'm not really thinking about it. Like I said, it kind of came a bit earlier than I expected. I did think about turning up to St. Pete and then the 500 and a couple of other little ones and see what happens. But of course I'm jumping in a car in the first race of the season, and a very competitive car as it is. Yeah, I would say after this, I don't know. I might take a little break as I've got some WEC stuff coming up, and then we gear up for Le Mans. I think I can make the 500, as well.

We'll have to see. I think in terms of a -- not full-time, but a for-sure ride for the 500, it's going to be tough. I think those filled up quite quickly.

No, I'm just focusing on WEC, and if I'm available for anything else that seems convenient or I might try some other different cars and range my experience within the world of motorsports.

Q. Obviously you said earlier you're enjoying your time in the World Endurance Championship. In INDYCAR, if no opportunities arise, is your goal to stay in the INDYCAR Series or would you be content with other endeavors, just hypothetically?

CALLUM ILOTT: I mean, I've already kind of -- how would I say? I took a step away from INDYCAR to go and do the World Endurance Championship, and again, it's a professional series ride. To be honest, I just want to do what I enjoy. I enjoy it a lot. I enjoy INDYCAR a lot. Just have to see where that takes me.

But I'm not forcing anything because it just doesn't feel right. I'm kind of going with the flow.

Again, the fact that I can make all of this happen and I think so far start the year in a very nice way after the end of last year, it's great, so I'm just going to continue that momentum and keep enjoying it and keep getting results in everything I can do.

Q. Obviously you're missed because we keep bugging you about future opportunities and next year and everything like that. Clearly we want you around the paddock. I guess to touch on something that was asked earlier, I don't want to put the wagon before the horse, so to speak, but if you were to ballpark it, because you obviously made it clear that WEC is the priority, that's the program that you're putting the most emphasis on this year, and rightfully so, but if you could ballpark it, what do you think is maybe a comfortable number of races that you'd be willing to do on the INDYCAR side this year without sacrificing or feeling like you're sacrificing that program?

CALLUM ILOTT: You know, I don't want to get in the way of anything. There's a lot of preparation up until Le Mans, and I think we have some other tests maybe before COTA later on in the year.

Of course, it's convenient that the series only has seven or eight races, so it's not too strenuous on that side. It's just a lot of travel. I think the calculation I did at the beginning of the year was the possibility to make 11 or 12 INDYCAR races if I had to. Of course that's a lot of traveling for me to do.

I'm just going to see what's convenient on that side. If I have to do 11, 12, that's what I'll have to do. If I can manage with three, four, five, that's what I'll do, as well. I'm just playing it by ear. I don't think I expected to go to St. Pete about a month ago, so now that's happening, and I can't complain.

Q. Obviously Arrow McLaren announced there was going to be this strategic alliance with Juncos. Were you already in discussions with McLaren back then?

CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, so when there is, shall we say, some shifts in the market, obviously I had some contact with Zak to see what was going on. There was the understood kind of development of a partnership between Juncos, and at that point it seemed quite sensible to keep things as it was. So I had that communication established, which is why I think it was quite easy to get the ball rolling to do St. Pete a couple of weeks ago.

Q. Clearly INDYCAR feels like home to you, I can tell. Smile, expressions. I remember a couple of years ago in the media center I remember you talking about how it felt right to you to stay with Juncos. Why do you keep wanting to go back to INDYCAR? What about this series do you like that even with WEC and full-time abilities over there, you still want to come back? What about the INDYCAR Series feels like home for you and makes you want to keep coming back for more?

CALLUM ILOTT: You're putting a lot of plurals on there. This isn't like I had to come back.

No, to put it simply, I felt that maybe it was slightly premature, what happened end of last year. It's life, and you have to find the best situation for yourself and work with that, and to be fair, I'm very fortunate to be in a super competitive seat with Hertz Team Jota and hit the ground running on that, and we're second in the championship, World Endurance Championship, straight away, which is great, and then to get the ball rolling in the first weekend of INDYCAR with Arrow McLaren, I can't complain.

It's pretty exciting on that side.

This opportunity just felt right, I think, for me, and for the team, it was very convenient to kind of get it working. I think we're in for a good exciting weekend in St. Pete.

From my side, yeah, again, maybe it was premature. I obviously did try and stay in the NTT INDYCAR Series for this year, and I was kind of unsuccessful at making that happen. I very quickly found another seat which just felt right in the World Endurance Championship.

I think in some ways, it's a shame that I didn't quite make a full-time ride work. If things would have happened maybe a bit earlier, I wouldn't have had a problem. But again, I made something work, so I can't complain about it at all, and I'm super happy to do.

It's a good place, and again, I can't have wished for more at the moment. I'm getting to do some exciting things this year.

Q. More so on competition, is there just something about the competition levels of the NTT INDYCAR Series that just brings the best out of you, brings the most out of a race car driver that it's hard to find and replicate that in other areas of the world? Competition-wise, is it just something that suits you that you just want more of, per se?

CALLUM ILOTT: I mean, yes, it suits me. If I'm going to summarize it, I think it's been a tough two and a half years to really show what I want to show. I've showed potential in a lot of areas, but it hasn't quite paid off in the way that I wanted it to.

I think there's something about that that keeps making me want to come in and just go like, this is what I've been talking about, and hopefully that can happen sooner rather than later.

Yes, of course the championship is super competitive, and there's a lot of variability, and the range of tracks that we go to as a series is tough to stay on top of. But yeah, I think as soon as I move away, I seem to get the ball rolling again and get some results, and I come back here and I want to keep proving what I can show in my history of racing.

THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and leave it there for now. Callum, thank you so much for your time here today.

[ht: FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports]

... notes from The EDJE

FEATURED ARTICLE >>>

TAGS: NTT INDYCAR SERIES, #ThermalClub, Callum Ilott, Arrow McLaren, St. Pete, 2024 Season, David Malukas, No. 6 Chevy, The EDJE