Dan Ticktum has delivered his early verdict on Fortescue Zero Racing’s early operations, as he and the team prepare for Formula E pre-season testing in Jarama next week.
Ticktum was announced at Fortescue Zero on Friday night as a major coup for the team as it seeks to carve out its chapter in Formula E in its inaugural season.
The Briton, who departed Cupra Kiro at the end of Season 12, had multiple teams chasing him with offers of seats after his strong performance in the final year of the GEN3 era.
Choosing to take a chance on Fortescue Zero, which bought the assets of the new departed DS Penske operation for the start of the GEN4 era, Ticktum cut a relaxed figure at the launch.
Having changed after the car unveiling into his trademark outfits, this time a brown 1970s style suit, he spoke exclusively to Motorsport Week on how the opportunity at Fortescue Zero presented itself.
“It actually started from Gary [Ekerold],” he said.
“Gary contacted me about, it’s got to be three months ago now, towards the end of last season to, he invites me to the MotoGP because he knows I like my bikes and it was happening that weekend and he wanted to give me an opportunity to speak freely, you know, without him hearing things on the internet and try and sort of give me a bit of an opportunity to explain who the bloody hell I am and what has actually happened to me in my career and why I am like I am.”
A conversation that led to a race seat
Ticktum confirmed the outcome of that initial conversation led to an offer, grateful that the occasional noise that unfairly surround him not a factor for the team. Known for his blunt nature, he confirmed he is highly motivated for his first race with the team.
That conversation went very, very well and I think Gary would have left that thinking, I think Dan is a bit misunderstood,” he said.
“Then obviously Fortescue came about, you know, a while after that, a month or so after that and, you know, I, at that point, I didn’t think there was going to be a, an opportunity in the Jaguar fold for me, you know.
“The Envision seats were open so, you know, I was potentially looking there but, um, I did then start trying very hard with Gary and then latterly Jim [Wright] and I don’t think they were really, had an issue with me, they obviously represent a lot of people so they had to make sure that everyone else is sort of okay with having me, which obviously I’m, as people know, a bit of a character, whatever you want to call it.
“Whether it’s good or bad, as I say though, I do think I am misunderstood a lot of the time but I managed to get it across the line, um, and I’ve, you know, felt overwhelming support from them all, to be honest, so, yeah, I want to, want to repay their faith in me so, yeah, I will be, be working very hard on this, very motivated for this one.”
Dan Ticktum delivers his initial verdict
Having only been with the team for a month, Ticktum revealed his early verdict on the team’s efforts to be ready for Jarama pre-season testing.
“I would say it’s just the level of professionalism across the board, you know, you go to the factory,” he confirmed.
“I mean, this is not to diss anyone else who I’ve worked, like, for in the past at all but, you know, everything just sort of feels like a bit of a level up, like, you know, the factory is a bit cliche but state, state of the art, you know, it is, it is all sorts of dinos and various things going on, the best that you can have, all the right people, um, the, the guys from Penske, obviously, most of them came over to, to work in this team, uh, they’ve got good experience.
“They’re all quite young and quite hungry and I have to say some of them so far seem very talented so, yeah, I get on with them very well, um, I think they enjoy having a bit of a character around as well so, to be honest, I am struggling to find a negative at the moment.
So think, I don’t know how we’re all going to start, you know, we might start right at the front, others might catch up, might be the other way around, I think we, you know, genuinely don’t know, um, but I think I’d like to win a couple of races, yeah, I think that’s, that’s got to be the goal, um, but we have to see where we are after, you know, Jarama in the first race, really.”
Ticktum will take to the track next week for pre-season testing to gauge where he and the team stand in the competitive order.
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