Williams have announced that Dan Ticktum will be part of their driver programme in 2020, having signed him as a development driver.
Williams have signed Dan Ticktum as a development driver for their team in 2020. The 20 year old was recently confirmed as a Formula 2 driver for next season, joining the DAMS team in place of Nicholas Latifi as the Canadian driver steps up to a race seat with Williams.
Ticktum was formerly part of the Red Bull driver programme, driving with their backing between 2017 and 2019 en route to two consecutive victories at the Macau Grand Prix and the runner-up position in the 2018 Euro Formula 3 Championship. He also got to test with Red Bull Racing in the Bahrain test at the start of 2019, as well as the in-season test in Barcelona. However, during a disappointing campaign in Japan’s Super Formula championship during the summer, Ticktum was dropped completely by Red Bull.
Having found a racing refuge at DAMS and signing this development deal with Williams, Ticktum will be working at the team’s base in Grove in the simulator to help Latifi and George Russell out with car development. He will also be attending two Grands Prix during 2020 with Williams saying he will be ‘fully integrated’ into the engineering and marketing teams.
Speaking about the announcement, Dan Ticktum said; “It is a privilege to be joining the Williams Racing Driver Academy, especially given Williams’ incredible heritage in our sport. The time in the simulator and experience working with the team will prove invaluable for my development. Being fully integrated into the operations will be a fantastic opportunity and I look forward to assisting wherever I can.”
Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal, welcomed her new driver to the fold by saying; “I am delighted that Dan, another exciting young British talent, has joined the Williams Racing Driver Academy. His ability behind the wheel has been demonstrated with back-to-back successes at the prestigious Macau Grand Prix in 2017 and 2018. Dan’s technical expertise will prove invaluable to the team and we are looking forward to helping him grow and develop in 2020.”