Ticktum continues as Williams F1 development driver

Ticktum joined Williams in the same role last season, one year after being dropped from the Red Bull junior programme.

As development driver, Williams says the 21-year-old will complete work in its simulator and “continue to build on the work he has done in this area in 2021, as well as being immersed with the team trackside where possible and at the factory”, per a team statement.

In 2021, Ticktum is entering his second full season racing in F2, where he has switched to the Carlin squad after finishing 11th in the F1 support series for DAMS last year.

“I am very happy to be continuing my partnership with Williams as development driver,” said Ticktum.

“It will be fun to get more time trackside this year as last year was quite difficult, so it will be nice to get more involved with the team at the track.

“I am looking forward to continuing my support in the sim, and I am very focused for this year.

“I still have a lot of work to do as my season hasn’t started but I am privileged and very happy as always to be representing Williams.”

Williams team principal, Simon Roberts, added: “It’s great to be continuing our working with Dan in his role as development driver for Williams Racing.

“He is a very exciting young driver with plenty of talent, which is evidenced by his back-to-back successes in Macau along with his impressive rookie season in F2 last year.

“We got to see first-hand his skills in the simulator and Dan played an important role in helping with car development, along with becoming a well-respected member of the team.

“We look forward to watching him grow and develop in 2021.”

Ticktum won the Macau GP in successive years in 2017 – the year he also won the Autosport McLaren BRDC Young Driver of the Award, now the Autosport Aston Martin BRDC Young Driver of the Award – and 2018.

He scored one win in his first F2 season, the Silverstone sprint race in support of the British GP.