Ticktum not burning bridges with Red Bull

Dan Ticktum says there are no hard feelings between himself and Red Bull as he aims to maintain a strong relationship following his departure from the junior programme.

Ticktum was dropped from the Red Bull junior team earlier this year, following a disappointing first half of the season in Super Formula.

At the first three races, he scored one point after finishing eighth in his opening race. The Briton affirms that his departure from the Red Bull programme was purely performance-based.

“It was performance," Ticktum said in an interview with FormulaScout. "The team struggled, even my teammate was struggling. There was definitely some damage from round two at Autopolis when I hit the kerb, because at Sugo I was absolutely nowhere.”

Expanding on the damage that he believes affected his performance in the third round at Sugo, Ticktum said: "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."

Despite being dropped from Red Bull's programme that has produced some of F1's top talents in recent years, Ticktum says he is keeping a good relationship with the energy drink squad.

There’s no disrespect to Dr Helmut [Marko], I got on really well with him so I’m not going to burn the bridge. Who knows what will happen in the future.

“I’m aiming to try to get a good deal in F2 next year, and hopefully get some good results, and who knows what doors are going to open soon. We’ll see.”