Why Dan Ticktum Deserved to Stay With Williams F1 Despite Recent Off-Track Antics

Dan Ticktum, the 22-year-old Formula 2 driver who carries massive strife on his back, is arguably one of the most hated professional racing drivers competing under the FIA.

And there are certain incidents to prove it, including the 2015 MSA championship and his latest distasteful comments on the Williams F1 driver, Nicholas Latifi.

Just days after his Twitch scenes, Williams officially announced that they are showing Ticktum the door. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time an F1 team has removed the Briton from their driver’s academy; Red Bull being the first of all to make the decision.

Is kicking Dan Ticktum out of Williams the right option?

Although the actual reason behind Williams’ decision remains unknown, one can practically see that the insults thrown at Latifi may have led to such a strong action from the F1 team. But, is that the right decision?

Well, though this could be an act of retribution for the off-track antics, Ticktum does deserve yet another chance. How you might ask? There is obviously the primary example in Nikita Mazepin.

| Dan Ticktum has been released from the Williams Academy, and is no longer in contention for a 2022 F1 seat. pic.twitter.com/PQfnR01siw

— formularacers (@formularacers_) August 3, 2021

The Russian was once the most hated F1 driver on the track after his abusive actions ahead of the 2021 F1 season. However, the hate seems to have subsided, with Mazepin, too, steadily maturing into a decent enough F1 driver after a mistake-prone start to the season.

Ticktum’s impressive fight for the F3 title with Schumacher

The Briton found himself out of racing from 2015 until late-2016 after the infamous incident at Silverstone, where he chased down his rival under safety car conditions just to take him out of the race.

Until the end of 2017, Ticktum barely received chances and was rather competing in one-off races as a replacement driver. However, then arrived the big opportunity in the European Formula 3 Championship.

Mick Schumacher #4 looks on after race 1 of the final race of the Formula 3 Championship at Hockenheimring in Hockenheim, Germany. (Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Team Motopark offered Ticktum a full-time seat for the 2018 season. And of course, the Briton never ceased to impress, as he enjoyed a hard-fought battle with current Haas driver, Mick Schumacher, only to end up second in the championship, with just 57 points separating the duo.

However, Ticktum did beat the likes of Robert Shwartzman and Alpine test driver, Guanyu Zhou, that season. Ticktun remained under the guidance of Red Bull until 2019, the year he drove an F1 car for the first time at the young drivers’ test.

The return of Ticktum in 2021

F2 is another series where Ticktum has shined and is still shining bright. It all started back in 2020 when he received a full-time seat from DAMS.

The Briton finished as high as P11 in the standings, despite facing a disqualification at the Italian Grand Prix, where he came home in P1. He was consequently the fourth highest-finishing rookie of that season.

Hence, considering an impressive debut outing, Carlin put out an offer for the Briton ahead of the 2021 season, which he willingly accepted. From thereon, Ticktum’s fortunes have turned quite drastically.

The only rain forecast this weekend

P2! We love to see it @DanTicktum

@DutchPhotoAg #F2 #BritishGP pic.twitter.com/fmEVYR1d5W

— Infinity Sports MGMT (@Infinity_ISM) July 18, 2021

After 4 rounds this season, Ticktum is sitting comfortably in P4, just 19 points away from the leader, Oscar Piastri. The Carlin racing driver has also churned a couple of P2 finishes out of the final races and 3 podiums out of sprint races, which also includes a race win.

Overall, Ticktum may have let many down with his off-track actions. But, he certainly has been a very reliable driver on the track and is still improving very evidently.

Hence, being just 22 years of age at the moment, there is potentially an entire racing career ahead for the Briton. But, with Williams’ announcement, has Ticktum just ended the dream of racing in F1? Or will Mercedes or Alpine recruit him into their academy?

Watch Story: When F1 Drivers Had a Blast on Top Gear Featuring Hamilton, Vettel & Ricciardo

The post Why Dan Ticktum Deserved to Stay With Williams F1 Despite Recent Off-Track Antics appeared first on EssentiallySports.