#27 Dan Ticktum (GBR – Motopark Dallara Volkswagen)
Qualifying 1: 5th – Race 1 Grid: 5th – Race 1 Result: 6th
Qualifying 2: 9th – Race 2 Grid: 11th (PEN) – Race 2 Result: 4th
Qualifying 2nd time: 7th – Race 3 Grid: 7th – Race 3 Result: 4th
FIA F3 European Championship position: 1st – 222 points – after 21 of 30 races
Track conditions varied throughout the FIA F3 European Championship weekend and Red Bull Junior Dan Ticktum mastered them superbly, charging through from P11 through sporadic drizzle in Race 2 to take fourth. Then in the rain delayed Race 3 on a soaking Misano circuit the 19-year-old Briton picked his way through the floodlit puddles and spray to grab another fourth and extend his points lead to 12.
Tricky qualifying
“I like changing conditions and really that worked for me in races 2 and 3. We had the pace in Free Practice and Qualifying 1 wasn’t bad but as things changed a bit in Q2 the team didn’t quite get it right plus I made a couple of mistakes so we were starting further back for today’s races.”
“In Race 1 again we didn’t have the set-up quite right and I just felt that the tyres weren’t working with the car and the performance went away. It wasn’t as simple as overheating, more like the balance front to back. Anyway it wasn’t what we needed.”
All on Sunday
Like a lot of drivers, Ticktum was penalised for exceeding track limits in Q2 so started P11 for Race 2. “I couldn’t be more happy with Race 2 really. We were running on slicks but there were damp patches and it kept drizzling a bit on and off so you were really feeling for grip. I loved it. I was happy with fourth from P11.”
“Then tonight it rained, it was silly wet, it was stopped, we waited, it got dark and I feared they wouldn’t let us go but in the end they did and I was really happy with that. I just worked at it and made a really good run from the second restart to take fourth.”
“I’m not talking about the Championship, the word is banned. I’m just thinking about the next races, tracks like the Red Bull Ring which I really enjoy, we know if we can get the set-up right we can string together the podiums and the wins.”
Source: Red Bull Junior Team – https://win.gs/2PLusgh