NTT INDYCAR SERIES News Conference
Thursday May 22, 2025
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Callum Ilott – PREMA Racing
Starts 21st
THE MODERATOR: Continuing on with Row 7 for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. Starting 21st, making his fourth start in the 500 from England, driver of the No. 90 PREMA Racing Chevrolet, it’s Callum Ilott.
Starting 20th last year’s INDY NXT by Firestone champion, a rookie from England, driver of the No. 45 Desnuda Tequila Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Louis Foster.
And starting 19th, ready for his first leg of the Hendrick 1100, once he arrives here, Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren
Chevrolet. Callum, let’s start with you. Looking forward to getting back in the car, I’m assuming, tomorrow?
CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, we agreed that we would start before Kyle gets here. You can ask us some questions before the star arrives.
No, really happy to get back going with the race car. Monday was the first time I got to do some laps in the pack because we’ve been focusing on qualifying. Yeah, felt really good, actually. Really strong. I was happy.
I think I was able to overtake a few people, but still a couple of cars are quite a bit faster. Yeah, I think we can move forward quite a bit.
Q. Callum, given that this is PREMA’s first oval race, obviously we saw what happened with Robert, but what have you seen in the team that’s helped them get up to speed — pardon the pun — over the last several days in practice leading up to qualifying?
CALLUM ILOTT: I mean, they’ve just progressed and progressed and progressed. Each day the cars got better and better, and we focused a lot on qualifying. We got my car into the field pretty easily, and Robert exceeded expectations by a mile, and then the race car, look, we had our first proper go at it on Monday.
I think it’s a big, big challenge for Robert and his car to learn that quickly in two days, how the timing of everything works. They’re going to give it a go, and he’s starting in the sharp end of things.
Yeah, it’s like any other race. Once you are out there, you just have to execute with strategy and pit stops. We’ve got enough people with experience on the team to get those right.
Q. Then for Callum, two years ago you finished 12th here. Last year you finished 11th. How do you feel about your chances of picking up your first Indy 500 top 10 or better this year?
CALLUM ILOTT: I think pretty good. We’ve exceeded expectations as a team so far this week and last week. I think the team is only improving and improving. Yeah, we just have to execute. I feel like I’ve got a good enough understanding of ovals to move forward from the starting position. Yeah, just have to build on it.
Last year I was in the pit lane when the race started. I was also last again, like, I think, lap 110 and managed to come back through to 11th. Speed is good, and we’ll have to see. Pretty high chances hopefully.
Q. How do you think the race is going to flow with the hybrid this year and all the tools you’re going to be using?
CALLUM ILOTT: I think the thing is you get so much use of the hybrid per lap everybody is going to be on it. It’s the same basically. Everyone will be in the same rhythm. You recharge in the corner when you let off and let off the gas and then deploy on the exit. It just makes everything the same.
I’m sure that some people can do a slightly better job than others with it, but it’s not exactly the most challenging thing right now. It’s just another — I think in qualifying it was more challenging if you were doing a complicated way with it. It can get very complicated. But there was more time in getting the car right than there was in getting the hybrid right, so…
LOUIS FOSTER: Even then in qualifying, getting the hybrid perfect was like nothing.
CALLUM ILOTT: Yeah, it doesn’t — yeah.
LOUIS FOSTER: It’s another thing to do on the straights. I think it’s a bit of a “get out of jail free” card. I think if you make a mistake, before you would lose your momentum. With the hybrid it helps to pick up the momentum. You have guys behind you that have that additional momentum. It’s just another button to press.