A strong drive allowed Dan Ticktum to achieve a rather impressive result for Cupra Kiro in Tokyo. In fact, the Brit managed to secure his first top 5 finish of the season.
A positive turning point in Monaco
Such a great result had been in the cards for Ticktum. He had been consistently performing in the past races, even scoring a starting second row in Monaco.
While unfortunately Race 1 in the Principality hadn’t smiled to him, he was able to make the most out of his starting P7 in Japan. After the cancellation of Qualifying, the former Red Bull Academy driver was allowed to start in P7 based on his positive performance during FP2.
Ticktum was then able to build on that for Kiro during today’s rather wet and chaotic Tokyo race, especially with a great energy saving technique and a wise call in terms of Pit Boost timing. The move also led him to the top spot for a couple of laps as well, an additional positive for the Brit.
Potential for more
Overall, the talented driver in his fourth Formula E season was pleased with his race, as he commented after the end of the first leg of the Japanese double header.
“Overall, not a bad day in the office. With Qualifying getting cancelled, the grid was made up using the results from FP2, which was okay for us. I started from seventh, and opening third of the race didn’t quite go to plan.”
While recalling his first more
challenging laps, Ticktum also highlighted the importance of off track strategy, which was also pivotal in securing Vandoorne’s first Maserati win.
“A few drivers took Attack Mode early which meant that I lost a couple of positions. Then [Sam] Bird hit me on the restart, and I dropped back. The Pit Boost strategy was excellent. I had really good pace which meant that I was able to overcut a lot of people.”
Overall Ticktum was rather pleased with his Kiro challenger and his Tokyo performance. Especially considering that tomorrow he will have another chance to compete for a podium. He is also more confident about the end of Season 11.
“I’m happy. It’s our best result of the year, and it feels like we’re getting there. The car is consistently good, we’re consistently fast, and I’m looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings.”
