The Briton has been referred to as upon on a number of events by Arrow McLaren by means of the early a part of the 2024 marketing campaign, after dropping his full-time seat with Juncos Hollinger Racing on the finish of 2023, and can begin fifteenth for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.
Alongside his programme for Porsche privateer Jota in the World Endurance Championship, taking the workforce’s first win at Spa earlier this month alongside Will Stevens, he was referred to as up for the IndyCar season-opener in St. Petersburg and the non-championship Thermal Membership exhibition occasion when David Malukas was sidelined by wrist accidents sustained in a pre-season mountain biking incident.
WEC commitments allowed the workforce to check out reigning Formulation 2 champion Theo Pourchaire for Lengthy Seaside and Barber, with the Frenchman now confirmed to return for all remaining occasions other than the Indy 500.
Though IndyCar’s centrepiece occasion is Ilott’s final scheduled look for the workforce this 12 months, Brown believes he has already accomplished sufficient to advantage consideration for subsequent season.
Requested by Autosport if Ilott has accomplished sufficient to be among the many shortlist of candidates, Brown replied: “Sure. He did a extremely good job.
“We wished to see him on an oval; plus Theo having by no means pushed an oval, he is now accomplished a check in St. Louis.
“We type of felt like here is one other approach to consider. We have been very pleased with what we noticed on the road race and highway course.
“Now, we wish to see on the oval and likewise felt that was throwing Theo a bit a lot within the deep finish. However yeah, Callum is unquestionably on our consideration record.”
Callum Ilott, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
Nevertheless, Brown pressured that the workforce is just not viewing it as a shootout between Ilott and Pourchaire for a seat on the workforce in 2025.
When pressed if the state of affairs is Pourchaire versus Ilott for one seat, Brown succinctly responded: ”Not essentially.”
The mixture of previous contract drama with Alex Palou, who finally decided to U-turn on his impending exit from Chip Ganassi Racing, and McLaren’s decision to split with Malukas has made it a problem to solidify the motive force line-up.
To that finish, Pato O’Ward signed a multi-year extension over the offseason, however the standing of his team-mate, Alexander Rossi, stays unknown.
Brown expects to get the 2025 line-up sorted following the Indy 500.
“Now, it is like catch our breath, deal with Indy and switch our consideration to what we’re gonna do with our driver lineup after this race,” he added.
“These conversations will come actual shortly. We have a shortlist as you may think about.”