ART Grand Prix has signed British rising star Callum Ilott to drive for the team in the 2018 GP3 championship. The announcement comes just weeks after the 19 year old, who took a dominant win of Macau’s Qualification Race at the FIA F3 World Cup, was confirmed as the first-ever British member of the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA).

“Together with the FDA, we made the decision to do GP3 with ART and I’m really happy with this as the first step in our partnership,” says Ilott who tested with his new team at the official GP3 test in Abu Dhabi last week.

Ilott joins the French squad with a strong pedigree in international racing, showcased most recently with a commanding race win at the Macau Grand Prix street circuit.  With multiple karting championship wins to his name and  the European Karting Championship title in 2014, Ilott had an unusual debut in single seater racing jumping directly from karting to F3 at age 16.  Having secured twelfth, sixth  and then fourth in consecutive F3 Championship years, Ilott wrapped up his F3 2017 campaign with seven wins, twelve podiums and eleven pole positions.

“I am really happy to welcome Callum in the team,” says Sébastien Philippe, president of ART Grand Prix. “He showed during his young career that he has a very interesting potential. We have no doubt at all that he has all the assets needed to fight for the title in 2018.”

With a record seven Teams’ titles in GP3, the French ART Grand Prix squad is the most successful outfit in the series which will support nine rounds of the 2018 Formula One World Championship.

“ART is a very professional team with a proven track record in GP3 and I am hugely excited to start working with them,” adds Ilott.  “To be selected by ART for one of its much coveted seats is a real privilege.  I am really looking forward to a new car, new tracks and new challenges and showing ART what I can do,” concludes Ilott.

The first race of the 2018 season takes place on the 11-13th May as the opener for the F1 weekend at Barcelona, with the series culminating at the Yas Marina track in November.