P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Ifs, buts, and maybes might be making Callum Ilott’s IndyCar season look a lot worse than the performance level has been. But there’s big areas for his Prema team to make ground in
Currently, Callum Ilott is ranked 26th in the IndyCar standings, second to last among full-time drivers. His rookie teammate, Robert Shwartzman, secured the rookie Prema team’s first pole position at the prestigious Indianapolis 500 and also achieved the team’s initial top-10 finish at Gateway two races ago. Ilott’s highest placement so far is 15th, trailing Shwartzman by 26 points in the standings, presenting a challenging situation for him. Despite the statistics, Ilott has displayed a stronger performance in recent races than the standings may suggest, facing various setbacks like disqualification at Indy 500 and mechanical issues at Detroit and Gateway.
Ilott encountered another misfortune at Road America due to a slow final pit stop after qualifying ninth, indicating that with better luck, he could have matched Shwartzman’s points tally or even exceeded it. While Ilott acknowledges the current disappointment in the championship status, he remains optimistic about the potential and consistency in finishing races strongly. The first half of the season was challenging due to various technical and operational hurdles, but improvements have been made gradually since then, especially in understanding and refining the car setup to suit his driving style and enhance performance on track. Despite the setbacks, Ilott is hopeful for a significant upturn in results in the upcoming races, aiming to consistently challenge for top-10 finishes and showcase his true potential in the highly competitive IndyCar series.
