Former F2 racer slams 'ridiculous' restraints on F1 ladder

Dan Ticktum is embracing his switch to Formula E for the 2022 season, having moved away from what he feels is a "squeaky clean" F1 environment. Ticktum, 22, spent the past two seasons competing in Formula 2, taking two victories and five further podiums en route to fourth in last year's standings. However, he was dropped from the Williams driver programme in the summer, having previously lost a similar role at Red Bull, admitting that he "opened my mouth far too many times and said things I shouldn't have said".

Ticktum labels the F1 ladder "ridiculous"

Ticktum, who finished his maiden Formula E race with NIO 333 in Saudi Arabia in 18th place, said he immediately picked up on Formula E's very different vibe after losing his F1 opportunities. "It's relatively disruptive; it fits my character a little bit," Ticktum told Motorsport Magazine . "I feel like we're all professionals in this paddock. Everyone is allowed to have their identity a bit more than when you're on the F1 ladder, when you have to be squeaky clean and can't say anything, really. "Especially in our society, and I've got a real problem with that, to be honest – I think it's ridiculous."

"The fans ask for characters"

Ticktum's brash radio outbursts met with quite a lot of social media backlash over the past few seasons, but the British driver says he is still keeping a filter on his true thoughts and opinions in a bid to please the corporate side of motorsport. "All the fans ask for characters and people who are different, and the big corporations who put the money in ask for the opposite, so it's obviously a bit of a balance – you've got to please both," he said. "At the end of the day, I feel like eventually, society will allow characters to express themselves a bit more, but at the moment I've still got to - unfortunately - keep the filter on opinions and things. "I've got to keep my head down and establish myself, but Formula E allows you to create your own identity – the more results you get, the more ammunition you've got to say what you want."