F1 News
Daniel Ticktum opens up about Red Bull junior program exit
- Nicolás Quarles van Ufford
Former Red Bull academy star Dan Ticktum, who was suddenly released from the youth program altogether back in June, has opened up about what happened during that period, as he was representing the Bulls in Super Formula when he got axed.
Ticktum was always seen as the next big thing to come out of the prestigious Red Bull youth set-up, with the Brit winning just about every category he drove in. In Formula 3 in 2018, when he was up against Mick Schumacher, Ticktum looked to be on his way to the championship before the German went on an impressive winning streak at the end of the season to secure the title and denying Ticktum the chance to get a super licence so he could potentially move to F1.
In 2019, Ticktum got moved to Super Formula, a Japanese racing category which has proved to be the springboard for many F1 drivers like Pierre Gasly and Stoffel Vandoorne. Then, suddenly, he got cut from the team and from Red Bull altogether. What happened?
“So the rumours of me assaulting my engineer, which I’ve heard going around, have been made up by some 35-year-old bloke in his mum’s bedroom on social media. It’s a complete rumour," the 20-year-old told Formula Scout.
“But, I will say now, and you can quote me on this, it’s balderdash. It’s rubbish.
“If that had happened, you would have heard it from Honda or from Red Bull, or the statement that Red Bull gave when they dropped me would have had that involved. So that’s nothing to do with that.
“It was performance [based]. The team struggled, even my team-mate was struggling. There was definitely some damage from round two at Autopolis when I hit the kerb, because at Sugo I was absolutely nowhere.”
“I believe it was chassis damage. The team said they were checking everything. I’m not sure it was put on a chassis dyno. I was pushing for them to put it on a dyno because I was really worried that I had damaged their chassis when I hit the kerb, it was a big hit. I’ve broken or cracked chassis before, and I know the feeling when you hit a kerb like square on, like glass.
“Then I turned up at Sugo and I was a second off my team-mate in everything, right at the back. Patricio O’Ward was supposed to come to replace me and do great things, and he’s done exactly the same."