Callum Ilott suffered a right hand injury in his crash at the Indianapolis 500 and will not be able to contest the Detroit GP. American Santino Ferrucci will replace the young Briton at Juncos Hollinger
Callum Ilott was re-evaluated on Wednesday by IndyCar doctors after suffering a severe accident at the Indianapolis 500 and was not released for the Detroit GP due to a fractured right hand. Juncos Hollinger announced that American Santino Ferrucci will replace the young Briton in the race that takes place next Sunday (5).
"Obviously I am devastated not to be racing this weekend in Detroit," Ilott said in a team statement. "After speaking to the doctors and specialists, we saw that the damage to my hand was slightly worse than first assessed. They suggested prioritizing long-term recovery, as any short-term racing damage could become a bigger problem in the future," he explained.
"After learning this, I am in agreement with the doctor's recommendation not to be cleared and spend more time recovering. As much as I would love to race, I want to preserve myself and focus on my health. I spoke with Ricardo [Juncos] and Brad [Hollinger] and we came to the same conclusion. I will be with the team this weekend and will give Santino all the support I can. I'm sorry I won't be in the car this weekend, but it's the right decision," Callum concluded.
This will be Ferrucci's third Indy race in 2022, with the third different team. In Texas, the American replaced the also British Jack Harvey, who was not released by doctors after crashing hard during a practice session. Last Sunday, Santino participated in the Indianapolis 500 with DRR, finishing the race in 10th place.
"Even though I am happy to be back in the car, I am sorry for the circumstances surrounding Ilott," Ferrucci said. "I hope his hand heals quickly and he will soon be back on the track. I'm just here to help the team and see if we can get a good result from my experience in Detroit. I want to have fun and enjoy the good time at the Indy 500. I can't thank enough the people at Juncos Hollinger who trusted me this weekend, and I hope everything goes well," he said.
This will be Santino's seventh appearance at the Detroit GP. In the last two appearances in 2021 with RLL, he finished both races in the top ten. The race takes place this Sunday (5), at the street circuit of Belle Isle Park, with complete coverage byGRANDE PRÊMIO.