The Long Beach weekend was a rollercoaster one for one of the standout drivers of the 2023 IndyCar season so far, Callum Ilott, after an incident involving his team-mate prompted death threats.
The ex-Ferrari Formula 1 test and development driver and Formula 2 runner-up already crashed in practice after a kerb was replaced without the drivers being warned, and then a succession of sub-optimal pitstops put Ilott in tricky positions – the last of which he emerged from just in front of his Juncos team-mate Agustin Canapino, who was leading the race.
The Race has broken down Ilott’s weekend bit-by-bit to better understand what happened and how everyone can learn lessons – on and off the track – from a very difficult Long Beach weekend, where he eventually finished 19th.
Damage repayment, please
The weekend had already started off badly for Ilott. A kerb – which had been removed after being damaged in an IMSA SportsCar Championship session and wasn’t present when IndyCar practice took place on Friday – was re-installed for Saturday.
.@callum_ilott started his day with a wild ride in turn 5. #INDYCAR // #AGPLB pic.twitter.com/uqm9Bsffhh
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) April 15, 2023
It wreaked havoc as Ilott, and then Rinus VeeKay, hit the kerb and crashed straight into the outside wall with no time to correct the car while the front wheels were off the ground.
When interviewed by NBC TV, Ilott said he hadn’t been made aware of any track changes overnight and added: “If they did and didn’t tell us, they can pay for the damage, because that’s a joke.”
"If they did and didn't tell us, they can pay for the damage."@callum_ilott crashed in practice and spoke with our @nateryan on the changes to the track. #INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/9k1ez3vjDK
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) April 15, 2023
Because no changes had been made to the track configuration, IndyCar didn’t issue a series-wide memo about it. Ilott was far from happy.
How did Ilott end up fighting to stay on the lead lap?
Ilott elected to get off strategy and stop from 24th on lap two under an early caution, but immediately lost a spot in the pits to his team-mate Canapino. The latter’s stop (pit-in to pit-out) was 4.86 seconds quicker.
Ilott then pitted again on lap 6/85 after hitting a bump in the road at Turn 2 and touching the wall, which popped his tyre.
It's been a rough weekend so far for @callum_ilott.