British driver Ilott, aged 25, has been confirmed by his team to participate in the upcoming Indianapolis 500 test days on April 10 and 11, alongside Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi, and Kyle Larson. This marks Larson’s return to an Indy car since testing in February.
However, David Malukas, Ilott’s teammate, is still recovering from a left wrist injury sustained in a mountain biking accident during the offseason. Malukas’s recovery timeline now extends beyond the Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 21.
Ilott, who previously raced for Juncos Hollinger Racing from 2021-23, was called upon to substitute for Malukas at the start of the 2024 IndyCar Series season. He performed decently in the recent Streets of St. Petersburg race, qualifying 16th and finishing 13th. However, at the non-points round at The Thermal Club, he missed out on advancing into the final by three spots, finishing ninth after initially running in a transfer position in the second heat.
While Arrow McLaren has relied on Ilott during Malukas’s recovery, they won’t have him for the Streets of Long Beach due to a conflict with the World Endurance Championship. Ilott has a prior commitment to race in the Six Hours of Imola with Team Jota’s Porsche 963.
Consequently, the team stated that they are evaluating other options and will announce the No. 6 driver for Long Beach in due course. This indicates a temporary setback for Arrow McLaren as they navigate through their driver lineup in light of Ilott’s unavailability for the upcoming race.
