World's ‘most controversial racing driver' responds to George Russell's sly dig
Formula E star Dan Ticktum has sent a message to Mercedes driver George Russell after he appeared to reference him at the Spanish Grand Prix following his clash with Max Verstappen
Formula E star Dan Ticktum has hit back at George Russell following his veiled jibe after the Spanish Grand Prix. Mercedes driver Russell and Red Bull's Max Verstappen collided in the dying stages of the race in Barcelona on Sunday, but it was Russell's post-race remarks that turned Ticktum's head.
The clash saw Verstappen incur a 10-second penalty, demoting him to 10th place. He also amassed two additional points on his super license, leaving him teetering on the brink of a suspension. Post-race, Russell seemed to draw parallels between the collision and Ticktum's infamous karting crash.
When asked if he could recall witnessing something similar in F1, Russell said: "Not in Formula 1. Maybe in Formula E. Yes, maybe there's one British driver in Formula E. But as I said, Max is one of the best in the world."
Russell's comments were a pointed comparison to Ticktum intentionally crashing into another competitor under safety car conditions in 2015 - an act that led to a two-year ban, with the second year suspended. Following his ban, Ticktum found his way into the Red Bull academy and had a spell at Williams before eventually joining Formula E team NIO333 in 2021, which is currently known as Cupra Kiro.
Ticktum competed in two Formula E races in Shanghai at the weekend, coming fourth and 16th, respectively. The 25-year-old didn't let the mixed results dampen his spirits, sharing snippets of a night out on social media before taking to Instagram to respond to Russell's sharp remarks.
"Good evening, sports fans, I hope you're all having a lovely Sunday. I've just had a very nice evening with the team and some of the guys from Porsche here in Shanghai," Ticktum said. "I'm just on the way back to the hotel.
"It has come to my attention, via the Twittersphere, that a certain driver in Formula One, not to name names, but his name is George Russell, has made some rather choice comments about a certain Formula E driver.
"He hasn't named my name, but it's quite obviously pointed at me," Ticktum argued. "I'd 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 likened to him at any point in my career is positive, if you ask me. Goodbye."
Ticktum is in 10th place on the Formula E leaderboard after participating in 11 races this season. Russell, meanwhile, came fourth in Barcelona and sits fourth in the overall driver standings. The Mercedes driver was certain Verstappen had internationally steered into him.
Sign up to our free weekly F1 newsletter, Pit Lane Chronicle, by entering your email address below so that every new edition lands straight in your inbox!
"I was as surprised as you guys were. I've seen those sort of manoeuvres before on simulator games and go-karting but never in F1," Russell told Sky Sports.
"Ultimately, we came home in P4 and he came home in P10. I don't really know what was going through his mind. It felt deliberate in the moment, so it felt surprising."
Verstappen has since reflected on the incident and backtracked on his post-race comments.. "We had an exciting strategy and good race in Barcelona, till the safety car came out. Our tyre choice to the end and some moves after the safety car restart fuelled my frustration, leading to a move that was not right and shouldn't have happened," he said via Instagram.
"I always give everything out there for the team and emotions can run high. You win some together, you lose some together. See you in Montreal."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Jurgen Klopp slams Club World Cup as 'the worst idea EVER implemented in football' in brutal rant against the sport's decision makers as ex-Liverpool boss reveals his fear for next season
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has slammed the current Club World Cup as 'the worst idea ever in football' in a brutally honest swipe at FIFA. Klopp, 58, appeared to be wholly unimpressed with the path taken by the sport's decision-makers to introduce a newly-expanded 32-team format this summer. The tournament, which is currently being held in the United States, has come in for heavy criticism for adding to what many players and managers believe to be a saturated schedule. It has seen many of Europe's top clubs - including the likes of PSG, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Chelsea - have a truncated off-season due to their requirement to participate in the tournament. Klopp has become the latest high-profile figure to express his disdain for the tournament, pointing out that its positioning in the calendar could see numerous top players get injured. Speaking to German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, he said: 'The Club World Cup is the worst idea ever implemented in football. 'People who have never had anything to do with day-to-day business are coming up with ideas. 'I fear that next season players will suffer injuries they've never had before. If not, then it'll happen at the World Cup or afterwards.' The German, who is now Red Bull's global chief of football, was an outspoken advocate on the importance of player welfare during his time as Liverpool manager. In August 2022, he compared the issue of player welfare to climate change ahead of that year's World Cup taking place mid-season in Qatar. He said at the time: 'If you go to the final at a World Cup and win it or lose or a third-place match you are already quite busy and then the rest starts a week later. 'If all the players then have a break it is not a problem, it is good. It is like a winter break which I had that in Germany as a player a lot, four weeks (off), stuff like that. 'When I start talking about it, I get really angry... It is like with the climate. We all know it has to change but nobody is saying what we have to do.' 'My problem is that as much as everybody knows it's not right, nobody talks often enough about it that it will be changed. Something has to change. 'This World Cup happens at the wrong moment for the wrong reasons.' Klopp also revealed why he opted to turn down the chance to manage the German national team at the end of the 2022-23 season. He had the chance to take the Germany job while still at Anfield, only to stay on Merseyside for one more year. However, his decision to subsequently leave the Reds came as a major surprise with Liverpool leading the Premier League title race at the time. Klopp also explained that he 'could have said yes' when presented with the chance to manage his home country. He admitted that 'it might have been better to do something else' after a disappointing 2022-23 campaign for Liverpool. That saw his side finish fifth in the Premier League and miss out on Champions League football Explaining why he chose not to move into international management, he said: I didn't want to. And the decision wasn't about the job of national coach per se. 'I couldn't leave Liverpool like that. There was a team there, there were people I had a relationship with. I wanted to put things right again with [players new to the squad] and the core team. That was important to me.'
Powys County Times
15 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Spain's Aitana Bonmati in hospital with viral meningitis days before Euro 2025
Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati is being treated in hospital for viral meningitis just days before the start of Euro 2025. The 27-year-old Barcelona player, who has won the Ballon d'Or for the past two years, was absent for her country's 3-1 friendly win over Japan on Friday. She posted a picture on Instagram of herself watching the match, which was played in the Spanish city of Leganes, from a hospital bed. Euro 2025 kicks off on Wednesday, with world champions Spain set to begin their campaign a day later against Portugal in Bern. National team head coach Montse Tome, whose side also face Belgium and Italy in Group B, told a press conference: 'Initially all the tests came back fine but the last one confirmed she has viral meningitis. 'The word is scary but the doctor tells me it's under control. She will remain hospitalised; we don't know the timeline of her recovery. 'She's an extremely important player for us and we will wait for her, no matter what, as long as we have to.' Bonmati was a key member of the Spain squad which won the 2023 World Cup – following victory over England in the final – and the 2024 Nations League.
Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Why Max Verstappen SNUBBED Lewis Hamilton's F1 film after he 'refused' to take part in nightclub scene with Brad Pitt
Max Verstappen has admitted that he would prefer to stay at home and look after his two-month old baby rather than attend black tie events after he snubbed two premieres for Lewis Hamilton 's new F1 film. 'F1', which counts seven-time world champion Hamilton as an executive producer, was released on Wednesday amid fanfare from fans and drivers. Formula One stars were given a first glimpse of the movie, starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, in a private screening before the Monaco Grand Prix last month. The film's premiere in New York was attended by drivers Lando Norris, Ollie Bearmam, Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz. But Verstappen swerved both events and admitted he has not even watched the film yet, instead preferring to spend time looking after his newborn. The Red Bull driver welcomed his first child at the beginning of May with partner Kelly Piquet. The Dutchman, 27, told The Sun: 'Being authentic is not something I have to try and focus on. It's just who I am. 'I don't like to be on the red carpet and dress up in a suit. I don't like to interact with people that I don't really know, and have a fake smile and fake chat. It's horrible, I just don't enjoy it. 'I prefer to hang out with my friends and spend time with my little family. I also have a lot of other projects going on outside of F1. 'So any extra work like red carpets is not what I want to do. I'm at a stage of my career where I've achieved so much professionally. 'I'm just focusing outside of it now, like my big passions to make life more enjoyable and not just being performance driven.' 'With the nappies, some are more smelly than others!' The four-time world champion even declined to take part in an extra nightclub scene for the film with Brad Pitt. Other drivers took a greater interest in the movie. 'I'll just say, for the pure F1 fan, be open-minded to Hollywood films,' Williams driver Carlos Sainz said. Formula One teams were keen to help producers and granted the actors unprecedented access to their facilities. McLaren handed them access to their Woking headquarters while Williams allowed them to use their wind tunnel for four days. Silverstone was essentially rented out to film-makers for three months in summer 2023, leaving junior drivers unable to use the track. Hamilton's production company Dawn Apollo features in the opening credits and has been credited with playing a decisive role as he helped train Pitt and Idris in Formula 2 cars. Joseph Kosinski, who was behind Top Gun: Maverick, and directed the latest potential blockbuster, revealed ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix: 'Lewis was the first person I reached out to. 'I sent him an email and said, 'I want to make it as authentic as possible. Will you help me?' And luckily, Lewis said, 'Yes'. 'He was involved in all the technical details with fascinating advice. In Hungary, for instance, he said, 'If Brad's going to let someone pass during a blue flag and he wants it to be as tight as possible, he's only going to do that at turn six'. That kind of detail, I couldn't have gotten from anywhere else.'
