After rounding off his second ever GP3 weekend in Jerez with a P4 finish and winning the extremely prestigious Macau Grand Prix just last Sunday, Dan Ticktum impressed once more in the final round of the GP3 Series in Abu Dhabi as he completed his last race in the 2017 season.
The weekend got off to a good start with the Red Bull Junior Team driver consistently topping the time sheets in practice and qualifying. His strong pace finally led Dan to qualify in P4.
Starting Race 1 from P4, Dan lost position to Arjun Maini at the start. He recovered throughout the race, fighting his way past Dorian Boccolacci in an intense duel, which saw the pair banging wheels going into Turn 12. He brought the car home in P4, equaling his best GP3 race to date.
Race 2 saw a reverse grid start with Dan starting the race from P5. He immediately put the pressure on Alessio Lorandi and passed him on Lap 7. Looking for more, Dan tried to replicate the move on Steijn Schothorst soon after but picked up a 5-second time penalty in the process. He fought his way hard through the field to overturn his penalty and ultimately crossed the finish line in second position but due to his time penalty, he was pushed down to third overall, claiming his first ever place on the GP3 podium and marking DAMS’ best result in 2017.
Dan Ticktum: “It was pretty exciting, I would say! It all went quite well until I got a penalty which I didn’t agree with so that put a bit of a downer on the podium but I’m still happy with everything else. It’s a great result for the team and I in their final round of the championship.
“Driving in the final three GP3 races of the year has helped me improve my technique in driving heavier and more powerful cars. The championship has been great, and I’ve really enjoyed taking part in it, so thank you to everyone!”
With no more races left to be decided this year, Dan can next be seen at the Autosport Awards on Sunday 3 December as a finalist for the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award.
Keep an eye on Dan’s social media and website to find out more about Dan’s 2018 race calendar.
Download high resolution imagery here.
#14 Dan Ticktum (GBR – DAMS)
Qualifying: 4th – Race 1 Grid: 4th – Race 1 Result: 4th
Reverse Race 2 Grid: 5th – Race 2 Result: 3rd
GP3 Championship position: 11th – 36 points – after 15 of 15 races (debut in race 11)