After a good year in F2 in 2020, Callum Ilott came very close to claiming the Formula 1 prelude championship. The Briton was fighting with Mick Schumacher for the title until the last moment, but fortune decided to smile at the German driver , also a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy. After having made merits and having added good numbers throughout the season it seemed that the doors of F1 were opening for the Cambridge driver. But, finally, it was not like that, he was close to becoming an Alfa Romeo Racing or Haas driver. But for the former they bet on maintaining their line-up from Maranello, as confirmed by Frédéric Vasseur himself. While at Haas, Ferrari decided to place the F2 champion Mick Schumacher there, the other seat was retained by Nikita Mazepin, the economic power of the Russian driver sounds like siren songs for those from Kannapolis.
After having to take the blow of being left without a seat in F1 we saw how Ferrari gave him great news, Callum was positioned as the reserve driver of Ferrari. This was explained by Mattia Binotto, at Ferrari they paved the way for one of the drivers from their school after the setback that did not correspond to a good year. However, now a statement from Ferrari marks a different course for Callum, the British will have to try his luck in a different circus than single-seaters. In 2021, it will be part of a GT program that it will combine with its reserve function. The Maranello academy is one of the most nurtured at the moment, is this an indication that they cannot manage so many pilots for the purpose with which their work is carried out?
Ferrari statement
“The young man from Cambridge will continue to enjoy the adrenaline of racing, as he will also be part of a GT program, at the wheel of a Ferrari for some of the most famous car races. In this way, the F2 runner-up will be on the scene and present in numerous races. “
A different course from that commented by Binotto
The Swiss made it clear that his new reserve driver was going to be very present in the team’s work, both on the track and in the factory. But everything indicates that participating in numerous GT races will take you away from that purpose, even more so when the anti-COVID-19 protocols are so strict and the bubbles are so closed. Binotto assured the following calmly a few days ago: “Callum Ilott will be our test pilot and will be in the simulator quite often and will also conduct free practice sessions“.
