#27 Dan Ticktum (GBR – Motopark Dallara Volkswagen)
Qualifying 1: 3rd – Race 1 Grid: 3rd – Race 1 Result: 1st
Qualifying 2: 8th – Race 2 Grid: 8th – Race 2 Result: 8th (PEN)
Qualifying 2nd time: 7th – Race 3 Grid: 7th – Race 3 Result: 6th
FIA F3 European Championship position: 1st – 190 points – after 18 of 30 races
Dan Ticktum took the lead in the FIA F3 European Championship with a superb win in Race 1 at Silverstone. The Red Bull Junior took off from P3 on the grid in his Motopark Dallara Volkswagen, with a balance of skill and aggression he showed himself clearly fastest of the field and won a thrilling duel with Sacha Fenestraz that took them well ahead of the pack.
Though coming from much further back on the grid kept the 19-year-old Briton off the podium in the remaining two races, spirited drives netted him more valuable placings and an 18 point advantage by Sunday afternoon. “It was an amazing effort by the team this weekend. They gave me a great car and it really could have been three wins had I not been held up in Qualifying 2.”
A great opening race
“It was great to get the win and the championship lead, I’m just taking it race by race though, thinking about the championship too much would just be me putting more pressure on myself.”
“The win in Race 1 at home was huge, I got into second on the first lap but it was very hard to get the lead. I tried everything to get past Fenestraz but it was almost impossible with the dirty air. I just kept pushing and pushing and finally got him on the inside going into Stowe.”
Shady tactics
“The weekend started really well, being fastest in Free Practice and third in Q1 wasn’t bad. In Q2 I got held up twice by Prema guys, one was fair enough, it happens, but the other by Armstrong (Marcus Armstrong, then points leader) was just not on, making sure I was in his dirty air as he slowed through turn 15 to spoil my lap.”
“That got taken before the stewards but there was no penalty. Then I got a penalty in Race 2 for gaining an advantage while exceeding track limits, other times the same thing goes unpunished, it doesn’t seem to be equal all round.”
Points for places
“Overall I’m very happy though. It was very good to get solid points from the other races. In Race 2 I got pushed way wide on lap one and was back in about 14th I think. I had a lot of overtaking to do and got up to P7. I was then penalised for going wide as I took seventh and dropped back to P8.”
“Still that was points and there were more for sixth in Race 3 today. As I said, if I hadn’t been held up in Q2 it would have been a lot better. That’s how it is and the team got on top of the changing track conditions very well this weekend. We just need to keep that up and we can do some more winning.”
Source: Red Bull Junior Team – https://win.gs/2LbPNfv