Dan Ticktum has stated he is “very, very likely” to remain with Cupra Kiro in Formula E, amid recent speculation regarding his whereabouts next season.

The Briton has enjoyed a career resurgence over the last year, as the previous struggling ERT outfit was bought by the Forest Road investment firm.

Now an American-licensed team, Kiro shedded the minnow status of its previous incarnations, and became genuine contenders, having become a Porsche customer team.

Ticktum finally got the chance to prove his talent in the all-electric championship, and did so with a maiden podium in Tokyo, followed by a maiden victory in Jakarta.

This has led to inevitable speculation that the 26-year-old may be snapped up by a more established team, including Tag Heuer Porsche.

But speaking to Motorsport Week, Ticktum spoke of looking ahead to Season 12, due to kick off on December 6 in Sao Paulo, with the Silverstone-based squad.

“We’ve still got a few things where I think we can improve, but we’re getting the most out of this car, or close to a lot of the time I would say,” he said.

“If we start a bit stronger at the beginning of next year, I think top five in the championship for me would be the goal.”

When asked if his words alluded to firmly remaining with Kiro, Ticktum replied: “Yes. Very, very likely.”

Ticktum has been quick to praise the engineering and mechanical staff with the team over the season, most of whom were already part of the ERT outfit.

Asked if he feels confident in their capability for give him a race-winning car for Season 12, he replied: “Yes, definitely,” adding: “We understand the whole package of the car quite well now.

“Some very talented people in this team. So, short answer, yes.

“I don’t know how next year is going to go until it happens, but I’m obviously more confident going into next year.”

READ MORE – Porsche Formula E star reveals a ’50/50′ chance of staying next season

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Motorsport Week asks if Dan Ticktum, who claimed his maiden Formula E victory last weekend, has managed to silence those who have tried to pile negativity on him for a long time?

Ticktum’s victory in the Jakarta E-Prix almost felt inevitable. Not only because of his undeniable talent and the continuing growth of the Cupra Kiro team for which he drives, but also because it feels as if the world has finally started to take notice of this plucky, charismatic and often-misunderstood Londoner.

For Formula E naysayers and pooh-pooh’ers, Ticktum is little more than some mouthy yob who takes out other drivers and berates his team on the radio and spends more time killing the enemy on Call of Duty on his Twitch streams.

Utter, utter drivel.

Well, maybe not the Call of Duty bit!

But in all seriousness, Ticktum is talented. Always has been. A regrettable incident in his junior days in which he took out another opponent was inexcusable, and one he apologised for at the time.

Since then, there has been no real discernible incidents other than a few hurty words said over radio, but much of the outbursts we ever hear now are things that every other driver has said themselves, or, at the very least, thought it.

And to boot, he showed how good he is by winning the Macau Grand Prix seven years ago, a prestigious milestone event for any young racing driver.

He’s often quick to praise his team even when things go wrong, and after his milestone moment in Jakarta, they were one of the first things he talked about.

Again, those who malign this hugely exciting all-electric championship will tell you that Ticktum has taken 60 races to win, ergo, he must be rubbish. Fact is, he’s driven rubbish pretty much up until this season, when the ERT/NIO 555 [and whatever else it has been called] built its own powertrains. Put a year-old Porsche in it, and look at it, and him, go.

Documentary star and charity fundraiser

In terms of public exposure, it seems as if Amazon Prime’s docuseries ‘Formula E: DRIVER’ has been a big catalyst in Ticktum’s profile rising like his name on the timesheets. His name, along with the other drivers featured in the show – Mitch Evans, Antonio Felix da Costa and Jake Dennis – all had notoriety in the sport, but Ticktum’s misunderstood element has seemingly been stuck in the metaphorical cocktail shaker along with all the other ingredients, and it’s served up a cocktail that seems almost irresistible to turn down.

In fact, Ticktum told Motorsport Week in Monaco – the weekend in which the series was released – that he was content to play up to his image, saying there was “definitely a narrative to how my character’s portrayed, you know, sort of a bit more of a bad boy.”

He also said that he hoped for more episodes in the future, as “a lot of my stuff [that] was cut.”

This is also in part down to Kiro’s growing PR machine, which has been able to effectively turn Ticktum, in the nicest and most positive way possible, a meme, something that he has been able to play on with gusto and enthusiasm.

In its previous guises, much of the team, not just its powertrain department, was an in-house operation, and given its status as a backmarker, could often be ignored or forgotten given how the small team of hard-working people could only do so much.

This was culminated by his charity challenge with YouTuber Mr Beast, in which he scooped $100,000 for Help For Heroes, proving that there’s even more to his character of a positive bent.

Since Monaco, he has also been giving his own impromptu race debriefs on his Instagram story, which often last for several minutes and provide a no holds barred take on his race.

Now with more people in place, Ticktum’s stock has continued to rise, and the happy coincidence is that he’s been able to match it by being ridiculously fast.

A technical mistake in qualifying at the Monaco weekend robbed him of a likely pole, and a tiny mistake of his own in Tokyo robbed him of a pole position, but was still able to take his first-ever podium.

A big fan base for a talent even George Russell can’t deny

A crucial indicator of Ticktum’s popularity amongst his fellow drivers was also evident on that occasion, as he noted that many drivers acknowledged him on the cool down lap. He is not an individual that is kept at arm’s length.

And if anyone else was in any doubt, perhaps it’s time to observe his fanbase.

It’s big.

FE fans are passionate people who care for their sport and for the drivers they support, and when one notices that a Union Jack with ‘Ticktum’ across the front is the only driver-partisan flag you witness all weekend [in Monaco, no less], then you might have to wonder about how long his reach really is.

And then, finally, we come to George Russell.

After his controversial clash with Max Verstappen at the Spanish Grand Prix, Russell was asked if any other driver would do such a thing, to which he replied: “Maybe one British driver in Formula E.”

Cue a backlash, something that would have been far less likely even just a year ago. Nobody would have cared, but not now.

Another Instagram story in which Ticktum provided a hilarious response, thanking Russell for the free publicity. Russell himself seemed to back down, saying before the Canadian Grand Prix that Ticktum is “obviously talented” and there was no issue with him.

All these things have combined to make Dan Ticktum a figure less of ridicule and criticism, but more of a man who is finally starting to be understood and recognised as a talent and a personality, topped off by scoring that maiden triumph in Jakarta.

A Formula E car might not be the loudest thing on the planet, but right now, it is far louder than Ticktum’s haters, who have been forced to eat a rather large portion of humble pie.

And he’s served it to them with a smile.

READ MORE – Miami F1 circuit included in record-breaking Formula E Season 12 calendar

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George Russell has clarified the remarks he made about Formula E driver Dan Ticktum after his controversial clash with Max Verstappen after the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver made the comments to the media, including Motorsport Week, immediately after the race two weeks ago, in which he was hit by the Red Bull with just two laps to go.

An irked Russell was asked if there was any other driver that would make a similar manoeuvre to Verstappen’s, to which the Briton replied: “Not in Formula 1, maybe in Formula E. Maybe one British driver in Formula E.”

Ticktum took to his Instagram account a few hours later, saying in a humourous video: “Number one, thank you for the free publicity. We’ll take that any day of the week. And two, while what Max did today was a little bit sceptical, to be a likened to him at any point in my career is positive if you ask me.”

Ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, Russell was asked by Motorsport Week if he had seen Ticktum’s riposte, to which he shrugged the testy back-and-forth off, saying: “I was told about that this morning,” he said.

“Yeah, I didn’t really have much to say. I’ve known Ticktum for a while. Obviously a talented driver. I didn’t mean any offence with my comment. I was just using that as an example.

“So, yeah, I heard he saw the funny side of it.”

When asked if there were any lingering problems between the two drivers, Russell denied that was the case.

“No, I’ve not actually seen him for a long time, so I know he’s racing in Formula E,” he said. “I keep half an eye on that when I can, so I know he’s done a pretty decent job.”

Ticktum is enjoying his best-ever season in FE to date, with his first-ever podium in the all-electric championship coming last month in Tokyo.

The Cupra Kiro man is 10th in the Drivers’ standings with 55 points, 27 more already than his previous overall season best.

READ MORE – Dan Ticktum coups $100,000 for charity in Mr Beast YouTube challenge

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George Russell questioned the mentality of an unnamed British Formula E driver, which many have presumed to be Dan Ticktum, after his controversial clash with Max Verstappen at the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver and the reigning World Champion came together on Lap 64, the Red Bull touching Russell’s sidepod at Turn 5, having been asked to give the Brit the place for fear of a stewards’ penalty.

After the race, Russell said the move felt “very deliberate,” with Verstappen since issuing a statement showing contrition for the incident.

When Russell was asked whether any other driver would do what Verstappen did, he told media including Motorsport Week: “Not in Formula 1, maybe in Formula E. Maybe one British driver in Formula E.

“Max is one of the best in the world. It would be intriguing to know what he would do.”

A social media debate ensued, with Ticktum’s name being brought up, with logical reason, the 25-year-old having courted the spotlight for negative reasons earlier in his career.

Much of Ticktum’s reputation was largely instigated by an incident in the MSA Formula [now the F4 British Championship], in which he overtook several cars and drove into another, with whom he had clashed earlier in the race.

It handed Ticktum a two-year ban from racing, one suspended, and he subsequently issued a full apology.

Being likened to Verstappen ‘a positive’ – Ticktum

Ticktum’s reputation has continued, largely due to his outspoken nature in an age of media-trained racing drivers who offer diplomacy.

However, despite his blunt and unfiltered personality – which has earned him numerous fans in the all-electric championship – Ticktum’s on-track behaviour has been clean as a whistle for some time.

It is worth noting that Ticktum, who recently scored his first Formula E podium in Tokyo, currently has two penalty points on his licence, as opposed to the 11 Verstappen currently has, which is one away from a race ban.

Ticktum narrowly missed out on another podium in Shanghai, and after discovering Russell’s comments via social media, he took to his Instagram story to post a humourous rebuke.

“It has come to my attention via the ‘Twittersphere’ that a certain driver in Formula 1, not to name names but his name is George Russell, has made some rather choice comments about a certain Formula E driver,” he said.

“He hasn’t named my name but it’s quite obviously pointed at me. I would like to address those comments that he made.

“Number one, thank you for the free publicity. We’ll take that any day of the week. And two, while what Max did today was a little bit sceptical, to be a likened to him at any point in my career is positive if you ask me.

“Goodbye.”

READ MORE – Charles Leclerc empathises with ‘vocal’ Max Verstappen over dramatic Spain F1 restart

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Formula E star Dan Ticktum has donated $100,000 to ‘Help for Heroes’, a UK veterans’ charity, as part of an online challenge with YouTube star Mr Beast.

Ticktum took part and won a high-stakes racing challenge, organised by MrBeast, the most followed content creator in the world. 

In the American’s challenge series, the format sees contestants compete against world-class athletes, with $100,000 up for grabs. 

If the success goes to the athlete, the money is donated to charity. In case the other challenger wins, they conquer the prize. 

During the past years, MrBeast engaged several sporting legends, including Serena Williams, Stephen Curry, and the football legend Neymar. The series has already seen the participation of names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady, and Bryson DeChambeau.

Earlier this year, Ticktum competed against Ronnie, a friend of MrBeast, in Miami. The Formula E driver had to finish four laps of the Miami International Autodrome in the time it took Ronnie to complete three. 

The challenge was released on Saturday, 24 May. The victory was taken by Ticktum, who donated the $100,000 to ‘Help for Heroes’.

Ticktum chooses Mr Beast donation based upon ‘respect’

In a statement released by Cupra Kiro, Ticktum said: “Globally, but especially in the UK, I don’t think there’s any excuse for the way some veterans and people who have fought for our country are treated.

“In the UK, money often goes to the wrong places, and I think veterans should receive far more support. That’s why I chose to donate to Help for Heroes, which is a charity I really respect for the work that they do.

“Once someone has devoted their life fighting for their country, they should be given everything, in my opinion, but unfortunately, that’s often not the case.”

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Cupra Kiro’s Dan Ticktum has gone fastest in both free practice sessions for this afternoon’s Race 1 of the Formula E Monaco E-Prix double-header.

The Brit topped FP1 with a 1:27.511s, just ahead of Tag Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein and Mahindra Racing’s Nyck de Vries.

In FP2, the pace was slower but Ticktum was still fastest, with a 1:26.779s, just under two tenths ahead of Andretti’s Jake Dennis.

For the first time in Formula E history, the Monaco E-Prix will be a double-header, with Race 2 taking place on Sunday.

Qualifying will follow at 10.40 local time.

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The ERT Formula E Team unveiled their first livery in the all-electric series on Saturday morning, following on from their announcement on Friday that they’d rebranded from NIO 333 Racing.

It was announced on Friday morning that Chinese manufacturer NIO had left Formula E after seven seasons, following new investment from so far unnamed individuals. The team have been rebranded as ERT, with their new colour scheme having been evident in their livery for season 10 on the ERT X24.

Gone is the combination of red, white and a mixture of different shades of blue and in is an exciting colour combo of fluorescent yellow, black and white. The livery itself has a clever motherboard pattern across the entire car, which’ll certainly make it standout, especially when under the lights in Diriyah and London.

The team have retained Dan Ticktum and Sérgio Sette Câmara for the championship’s centurion campaign, with the duo having experienced vastly different seasons in 2022/23.

Ticktum was very much the standout driver at NIO 333 last year, as he scored 67% of the Chinese outfit’s points. The British driver made several duel appearances in his sophomore season, with him having progressed all the way to the semi-finals on three occasions (Diriyah R1, Berlin R1 and London R1).

When it came to the races, the team’s disappointing energy efficiency often resulted in Ticktum falling backwards, although he did salvage a season’s best of P6 in both Cape Town and Monaco. If the rebrand can help push the outfit forwards, then Ticktum should be looking to become a consistent points finisher in season 10.

As for Sette Câmara, he joined NIO last season with a bit of a reputation for being able to put together extraordinary qualifying laps, something he failed to live up to. The Brazilian made just the two duel appearances in season nine – Berlin R1 and Monaco – and scored an underwhelming 28 points. His fifth place in Hyderabad, though, was the team’s best result of the campaign.

With a season of Gen3 under both Ticktum’s and Sette Câmara’s belts and with a successful rebrand having been conducted, the entire team can be looking forward to hopefully getting the exciting livery into the points more often.

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NIO 333 Racing have announced that Dan Ticktum and Sérgio Sette Câmara will continue with the team in 2024, after both drivers had their contracts extended by the Chinese outfit.

NIO made the announcement on Friday morning, which was expected given that both drivers hinted at the season nine finale in London that they would remain at the side in season 10.

It marks an attempt by the team to try and build some momentum by not changing their youthful driver line-up, following a very positive start to the Gen3 era in 2023. NIO entered the new era of the sport having been the backmarker side throughout Gen2; however, this wasn’t the case last season.

The outfit’s qualifying pace in particular was massively impressive, with Ticktum having often progressed to the duels. He was a real standout for many in his sophomore campaign, having shown significant development.

Whilst NIO’s powertrain was solid over one-lap, efficiency wasn’t their strong point, something which makes Ticktum’s seven top-10 finishes in 2023 that much more applaudable. NIO, of course, has the disadvantage of not having a customer team, meaning they gather less data than any other manufacturer on the grid.

This simply adds to how well Ticktum did in season nine to get among the points so often, with him having led the Silverstone-based team in many ways. If NIO can improve their efficiency through making changes to their software, then Ticktum will feature towards the front considerably more often.

Nevertheless, 28 points in his second season was respectable, although he arguably deserved significantly more for his efforts. He’s hopeful that the team can “build on” from season nine and look to extract more from their package, in what’ll be his third campaign in the all-electric series.

“I am now going in to my third year with the team,” said Ticktum. “Season 9 was a lot better than Season 8 for us, and we have done pretty well with the package that we have.

“At the start of GEN3 I think the pace of our car has been very strong. So, hopefully, we can build on that this year, maybe with some alternative strategies, and optimising our package even more, we can achieve some more points in Season 10.

“I think it’s going to be challenging season for us because the regulations don’t allow us to change much, however I’m looking forward to being on FE grid again with NIO 333 Racing and going some cool new venues. I think Tokyo is going to be a highlight for me and overall, I can’t wait to get back racing!”

For many, Sette Câmara disappointed in season nine, having failed to live up to the promise he offered in season eight. The Brazilian took longer than Ticktum to adjust to the Gen3 machinery, although his P5 at the Hyderabad E-Prix – which might not be returning in season 10 – was the side’s best result in 2023.

He scored points on just two occasions last season, leaving him on just 14 points come the end of the campaign. Ticktum scored exactly double the number of points that Sette Câmara achieved, something which can’t be repeated in 2024.

However, should things click for the 25-year-old in Formula E’s centurion campaign, then several duel appearances should be the target at the very least, along with more top-10 finishes. His one-lap pace wowed fans in season eight, with that being something he needs to rediscover and unlock in his second season with NIO.

Should he show what he’s knowingly capable of, then NIO retaining him will very quickly look like a smart decision. Sette Câmara openly admits that he “faced challenges” in season nine but that the team overtaking Mahindra Racing in the Constructors’ Championship on the last day of the campaign was a “testament to our team spirit”.

“Season 9 was a time of growth and learning for me, with the highlight undoubtedly being our performance in India, where we secured our best race result,” said Sette Câmara. “That moment stands as my favourite from the season, showcasing the potential we have as a team.

“While we faced challenges, including a disappointing penalty in London, we demonstrated our resilience by bouncing back and overtaking Mahindra the following day. It was a testament to our team spirit and the determination to succeed, even when faced with setbacks that felt unjust.

“In the off-season, I took the opportunity to recharge at home in Brazil before jumping right back into preparations for the upcoming season. Just a month after the finale, we were back here, putting in the work and gearing up for what lies ahead.”

Looking ahead to season 10, like Ticktum, Sette Câmara is wanting NIO to carry on from where they left off at the London E-Prix in July, with “renewed energy and determination”.

He added: “As we approach Season 10, I am filled with anticipation and excitement. Having spent a year with the NIO 333 Racing team, I have forged strong bonds with everyone and feel a sense of continuity and momentum as we carry forward the lessons and experiences from Season 9.

“I am eager to build on what we have achieved and look forward to hitting the tracks with renewed energy and determination.”

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Dan Ticktum confirmed at the recent 2022/23 Formula E season finale that it’s “almost definite” that he will remain at NIO 333 Racing for a third season in 2024.

Whilst not yet official, Ticktum explained to Motorsport Week at the London E-Prix that sticking with the Chinese team next season “is the plan”, in what’ll mark his third campaign in the all-electric series.

It had been rumoured that Ticktum was looking for a seat elsewhere and had received some attention from other sides; however, another year with NIO appears to be the case for the British driver.

“Yes, that is the plan,” Ticktum confirmed to Motorsport Week. “It’s almost definite, but it’s obviously not released yet. But I had a two-year contract anyway, so yeah.”

NIO are also expected to retain Sérgio Sette Câmara for season 10, despite the Brazilian having endured a very underwhelming campaign.

Ticktum, on the other hand, has enjoyed a very positive season, which has seen him show significant progress from his rookie season last year. The 24-year-old’s rookie campaign in 2022 was nothing to write home about; however, he was in the worst car on the grid by some margin.

The same can’t be said for season nine, where NIO have very much risen off the foot of the pecking order. They secured ninth in the Drivers’ Championship following back-to-back points finishes by Ticktum at his home E-Prix, which ensured that the side finished ahead of both Mahindra-powered teams.

Considering that NIO are the only powertrain supplier without a customer team, finishing ahead of Mahindra is a huge deal for the Silverstone-based outfit. NIO’s and Ticktum’s qualifying pace this season has been sublime, with efficiency having been the team’s downfall.

Ticktum made seven appearances in the duels in 2023, the same number as Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein who fought for the title. He even made two semi-final appearances in Diriyah and Berlin. However, the Briton was rarely able to make progress from wherever he started, due to NIO’s efficiency struggles.

This held Ticktum back somewhat, with him having only claimed points in seven of the 16 races. He ended the year 17th in the Drivers’ Championship on 28 points, whereas Sette Câmara finished P20 on just 14 points.

His best result of the season was P6, which he claimed somewhat controversially in Monaco after colliding with Maximilian Günther, and also in Cape Town.

There is a lot to be positive about for both Ticktum and for NIO, who are definitely on the right path towards becoming consistent points finishers. Improving their efficiency is Ticktum’s main wish for season 10, with him believing that some “good things” will become possible should they do that.

“Overall, I think I can be a bit negative sometimes, but I think compared to last year, we’ve had good one-lap pace this year, whereas last year was very bleak,” reflected Ticktum.

“We didn’t really have anything [last year], but at least this year we had good one lap pace. So all the guys, my engineer and everyone and myself, at least we have a chance to prove that we’re doing things right in terms of setting the car up for one-lap.

“So, yeah, in that respect it’s positive, but if we just had a bit more efficiency, I think we could do some good things.”

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Formula E tyre supplier Hankook received criticism from Sam Bird at the recent season finale, with the ex-Jaguar driver having complained about the “absolutely no good” tread pattern on the tyres.

The final race of the season at the London E-Prix was a treacherous affair, as heavy rainfall led to two red flag stoppages. The race had initially gotten underway behind the Safety Car; however, the first red flag was flown after four laps under the neutralised conditions.

Following a 30-minute delay, the race resumed once again behind the Safety Car, which led the field for a further two laps. Towards the end of the second lap, though, another red flag was required as the rain had intensified.

40 minutes later, the 16th and final round finally saw green flag racing. Despite racing having properly gotten underway, very little action took place. Due to the spray and poor grip levels, very few overtakes took place, with Bird having revealed that the tyres weren’t getting rid of the surface water.

A general complaint about Hankook’s Formula E compound this season has been how hard it is, something which has made generating heat that much more challenging than it was when Michelin were the sport’s tyre supplier.

Hankook haven’t really had an opportunity to gather data in wet conditions during their first Formula E campaign, with the vast majority of the sessions having been completed in the dry.

Bird was adamant that the tread pattern on Hankook’s rubber wasn’t suitable for the wet conditions seen at the ExCeL Centre, to the extent that the race was more about “survival than anything else”.

“I’m sure the Gen3 car would have been great in those conditions, but the tread pattern on the current tyre is absolutely no good for those kind of conditions,” Bird complained to Motorsport Week.

“And it doesn’t get rid of the water. So we’re just skating around. We’re not generating any heat in the tyre to then go quicker, so we’re just sliding around. So it’s more survival than anything else. And some people survive better than others.”

The conditions were truly horrific, to the extent that NIO 333’s Dan Ticktum was “shouting down the radio” insisting that it was “way too dangerous” whilst behind the Safety Car. Despite the conditions, all 22 drivers finished the race, with not a single yellow flag having been required when racing actually got underway.

Ticktum was one of the only drivers to complete an overtake in the conditions, which he described as being “honestly pretty dangerous”.

“They [the conditions] were very bad. Scot [Elkins] said that we were about to go racing before the first red flag and I was basically shouting down the radio saying it’s way too dangerous,” said Ticktum, as reported by Autosport.

“It was honestly pretty dangerous for the whole race even when it did start but everyone here is very experienced and mature.

“On the straights, basically, we couldn’t see, no one was doing anything stupid so [we were] able to have a pretty clean race which was good in the end.”

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