🐼Last season’s F2 runner-up replaced Antonio Giovinazzi for the opening practice session of the weekend.

Ilott was s𒁏et to make his F1 debut in the Eifel Grand Prix f🎉or Haas but due to FP1 at the Nurburgring being called off due to poor weather, Ilott never got his chance.

The British driver endeᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚd the s💯ession 17th fastest overall, 0.4s shy of Kimi Raikkonen.

Reflecting on his first official F1 outing at Portimao, Ilott s𒀰aid: “Obviously for me I was still taking it easy as well. It was interesting to experience it. But once I was up to speed with the tyres and getting used to it, I think I finished the run on the hards, one-tenth off Kimi, which is not too bad at the time.

“Then we went to the softs and I completely got caught out at the beginning by how much grip and also getting the tyres in. So s𝔉truggled a b🎐it then but then we came in, rebalanced and then I think with the tyre mileage I had, I didn’t do a bad time.

“Overall, building consistently, was very happy with the session, got through all the run plan that we needed to and discovered the limitations we have as a team and as a driver as well. Lots learned from my side and lots le🐎arned from the team. So yeah, big thanks to Alfa Romeo for giving me the opportunity.”

Ilott is a memꦿber of Ferrari's driver academy and he's enjoyed a series of tests in its 2018 challenger at the team's circuit in Fiorano. 

The 22-year-old commented how “unbelieva💧ble” modern F1 machinery performs on low fuel. 

“I’ve had a few opportunities now, a few highs and lows as well,” Ilott added. “From that side, to get the first experience of a session was a wow factor, but these machines over one lap are incredible. It’s unbelievab⛎le how fast they are, but I think it was quite nice for me afte🍌r the session to step back and enjoy the moment afterwards.

“In the moment, you’re focused on what you’re doing. It’s not that the wow factor is gone, when I take a stepꦉ back it’s 𝔉there. It’s just when you’re in the moment, you have to make the most out of it.”