Ilott confirms he does not have Haas 2021 F1 drive

Callum Ilott has confirmed he will not be racing with Haas in Formula 1 next season.

As a member of Ferrari's driver academy, and given Haas' links with the Scuderia, Ilott has long been in the running for promotion from F2.

But the 22-year-old Briton has revealed on social media he will not be joining a team that is due to field an all-new driver line-up with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen leaving at the end of the season.

“It is time I announce that I have been told I will not be racing F1 in 2021,” said Ilott. “Obviously, I have known this for a couple [of] weeks now.

“I am disappointed, but I will just work harder and do what it takes to make sure it happens in 2022. Anyway, I have a championship I want to win.”

Ilott goes into the final two races of the F2 season in Bahrain trailing championship leader Mick Schumacher by 14 points.

Schumacher is almost certain to join Haas, even if he fails to clinch the F2 title, and is expected to be partnered by Nikita Mazepin, who is currently third in the standings, albeit 43 points adrift.

Haas has confirmed, however, its test and reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi, grandson of two-time F1 champion Emerson, will replace the injured Grosjean in this weekend's Sakhir Grand Prix.

Grosjean sustained burns to the backs of both hands from a fireball crash in Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix and has been deemed unfit to drive.

It affords Fittipaldi an opportunity to prove himself on the F1 stage, and potentially an outside chance of a permanent seat with the team.

It is understood, though, the financial backing Mazepin brings with him courtesy of his Russian billionaire father is one of the key mitigating factors in his expected promotion.

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