Callum Ilott makes podium on Hertz Team JOTA debut as he and team-mates finish second in opening round of FIA World Endurance Championship

Callum Ilott made the podium on his Hertz Team JOTA debut as he and his team-mates finished second in the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The Bishop’s Stortford racer, who was also making his hypercar bow, and his colleagues Will Stevens and Norman Nato produced a brilliant performance to be runners-up at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar on Saturday (March 2).

And being the first privateer team home means they are the early leaders in the FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams Championship.

Ilott, 25, was racing a Porsche 963 Hypercar for the first time in the near 1,200-mile race which lasted almost 10 hours.

The former Bishop’s Stortford College student set the third-fastest time in hyperpole qualifying to help earn the #12 Porsche a second-row starting place.

Ilott and his team-mates were in podium contention throughout the race before crossing the line in second place in a time of 9hr 56min 25.223sec.

They moved up a place late on when the Peugeot TotalEnergies #93 Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar, driven by Nico Muller, Jean-Eric Vergne and Mikkel Jensen, suffered an issue and came to a halt as it entered the final lap with Vergne at the wheel. It limped over the line in seventh and the team were later disqualified due to a technical regulation breach.

Porsche Penske Motorsport trio Andre Lotterer, Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre won the race with a 33.297sec margin of victory.

“Hertz Team JOTA did an amazing job and the team was incredible to work with,” said Ilott. “They made it super easy for me on my hypercar debut, as did my team-mates Norman and Will, who were both fast and did solid jobs.

“I set the third-quickest time in hyperpole qualifying for a second-row place – a good starting position for the team. I think there could have been a little bit more [time], but not a bad effort for my first qualifying hypercar session.

“It was a very, very long race and we battled hard. We made no mistakes, had solid pace and undertook a different strategy to our rivals, trying to extend our stints, and it paid off.

“We all kept chipping away and, ultimately, after great strategy and teamwork, I was catching the second-placed car in the closing laps. Unfortunately for them, their car stopped on the penultimate lap.”

The championship resumes at Imola in Italy on April 19.

Ilott said: “It’s a track I know reasonably well. I raced there in 2016 in Formula 3 and I don’t think too much has changed there.

“We’ll all be giving it our best to extend our lead in the championship.”