DAN TICKTUM says Red Bull have not had a better junior driver since he was dropped by the team in 2019.
The British racing driver now races for Idris Elba’s backed Formula E team Kiro Racing Co and stars in the sport’s new fly-on-the-wall series – Driver.
GettyDan Ticktum has found his home in Formula E after earning a bad boy reputation in motorsport[/caption]
GettyTicktum and English actor Idris Elba who has backed Formula E team Kiro Racing Co.[/caption]
GettyTicktum spent two-years at Red Bull’s academy[/caption]
Ticktum, 25, has earned a reputation as the bad boy of motor sport over the years.
He was banned for a year from ignoring a safety car to purposefully crash into a karting rival.
He was later signed by both Red Bull and Williams’ F1 driver academies and was axed by both.
Ticktum has got a smile back on his face in Formula E though and has recalled his time in Red Bull’s academy ahead of this weekend’s double header in Tokyo.
He said: “Red Bull has got their reputation for being quite ruthless. I understand how it operates and I quite like it.
“I don’t necessarily agree with all the decisions. It’s very black and white and if the results aren’t on paper that’s it really.
“Marko knows how to spot a good driver, he does get knocked for some of his harsher decisions.
“I had the year of F3 which was a very successful year. I was double world champion that year, some pretty political stuff went on there, I won’t go into too much detail.
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“I didn’t have enough super licence points because the new super license came out, I had 38 not 40 points so the FIA wouldn’t allow me in F1.
“Red Bull were keen to have me at Torro Rosso at the time in 2019 so I had to do some Super Formula stuff in 2019.
“Some more political stuff went on which I can’t talk about, it was a bit unfair but that’s life, that’s racing, it happens.
“I didn’t quite get to F1 with them, I would have fit in well and to be brutally honest I would have been better than pretty much any junior they’ve had since me.”
Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull has been a hot-topic over the past few years with a series of brutal hiring and firings.
Christian Horner’s ruthless axing of Liam Lawson for Yuki Tsunoda after just two races this season showed he is still taking no prisoners.
Ticktum felt the wrath of Horner and Helmut Marko when he was axed from the programme when he was driving for their junior team in Super Formula six-years ago.
It was speculated that Ticktum would replace Brendon Hartley at Toro Rosso for the 2019 F1 season, but it was given to Daniil Kvyat.
His Red Bull exit came shortly after stalling his car and spinning on a curb at Autopolis in qualifying before finishing the race in 15th.
Wild rumours swirled that physically assaulted his engineer – which have since been put to bed by him.
Ticktum has a glittering trophy cabinet and rubbed shoulders with Lando Norris in his karting days.
His accolades include winning the Macau Grand Prix in 2017 and 2018, becoming the youngest winner at the event, and a McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner in 2017.
He has several F2 victories to his name including a win at Silverstone in his rookie season and he finished fourth in the FIA F2 standings in 2021, with three victories.
When asked about his battles with Norris during his karting days, he said: “I remember having a rivalry with him in 2013 because we were both at Ricky Flynn.
“He was obviously an exceptional driver, he was particularly exceptional in karting that time because other people had started to grow.
“He was very, very light and you had to put lead on the car and you could bolt it to the bottom of the seat.
“He had a much lower centre of gravity than anyone plus he was very good, so he was very successful in karting.
“We were tit for tat for a little bit in that season and yeah I think it was pretty clear that me and him were the most talented people doing it at that time.”
Ticktum is one of the stars of Formula E’s new docu-series called Driver which is available to watch on Amazon.
Ticktum was the culprit of a swear-laden rant in last season’s race in Jeddah, screaming “f***ing hell guys” at his team.
When asked about the FIA’s strict current rules on swearing, he said: “If I give any answer I will end up with a £30,000 fine so no comment.”
On the series, he added: “The series is really cool. It’s great to have more behind the scenes stuff.
“I guess I’ve been edited to fit the mould of being villain, but people think I come across genuinely and tell truth which is what I am.
“Hopefully if there is season two then if they follow this year again then there will be more episodes.
“It’s great for the championship. The deal is incredible with Amazon.”
Watch Dan Ticktum in Formula E: Driver on Amazon Prime Video now and at Formula E’s Tokyo E-Prix on 17th and 18th May
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