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December 4, 2017

Dan Ticktum wins McLaren Autosport BRDC Award

Arden Motorsport 2017 Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup Race Winner and Red Bull Junior Driver Dan Ticktum has been announced as the 29th winner of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award
Press
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December 4, 2017

Dan Ticktum wins McLaren Autosport BRDC Award

Arden Motorsport 2017 Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup Race Winner and Red Bull Junior Driver Dan Ticktum has been announced as the 29th winner of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award

Arden Motorsport 2017 Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup Race Winner and Red Bull Junior Driver Dan Ticktum has been announced as the 29th winner of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award at the 2017 Autosport Awards in London.

The 18-year-old became a Red Bull Junior at the start of 2017, ahead of his first full season following a ban for a clash behind a safety car in '15. The talented Brit was a member of the Arden Motorsport supported YRDA programme in his early years during karting. Since then, he has now gone onto becoming the 64th Macau Grand Prix Winner in FIA Formula 3 and now claimed the biggest prize for Young British Racing Drivers.

Ticktum's main campaign in 2017 was in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup, in which he took a race victory on his way to seventh in the standings with Arden Motorsport - as the team made their debut in the super competitive junior formulae.

Ticktum's stellar Eurocup performances, were he took pole positions, podiums and a race win during his and the team's the maiden season in Formula Renault 2.0 - were enough to earn him a finalist spot. Ticktum went into the shootout alongside BRDC F3 Champion Enaam Ahmed, fellow Eurocup race winner Max Fewtrell and Euroformula Open Champion Harrison Scott.

The quartet went head to head over two intensive days of assessments at Silverstone in October, featuring on-track tests on the Grand Prix circuit in Formula 2, Mercedes DTM and McLaren GT3 cars, plus fitness tests conducted by McLaren.

Ticktum will receive the opportunity to test a McLaren Formula 1 car and play a simulator role with the team, as well as full BRDC membership and an Arai crash helmet as part of the incredible prize.

Dan Ticktum "I had an amazing weekend in Macau and this has exceed that, I cannot put into words how proud I am right now to have won this award.It's been an incredible experience right from the outset. The two days were incredibly difficult and having to wait six weeks to find out who the winner was was agonising to say the least.People know I had a tough career to start with and there have been some very important people who believed in me, particularly Red Bull, Christian Horner, Dr Helmut Marko - they've given me a chance and I hope I can do them proud. I fought back and learned from my mistakes and my immaturity and I'm stronger because of it."

The judging panel was led by ex-F1 driver, 1992 world sportscar champion and outgoing BRDC president Derek Warwick, and comprised two-time British Touring Car champion Jason Plato, 1997 Award winner and GT boss Andrew Kirkaldy, ex-F1 designer and engineer Mark Williams, leading circuit commentator Ian Titchmarsh, Autosport magazine editor Kevin Turner and Autosport Plus editor Scott Mitchell.

Spa 24 Hours victor and 2008 Award winner Alexander Sims was the guest judge.

Alexander Sims - McLaren Autosport BRDC Award Judge "It's such a big challenge for these guys at this stage in their career to jump into these three different cars, but Dan this year was outstanding."

Sims was joined by McLaren's Eric Boullier, Turner and BRDC chairman John Grant to present Ticktum with the Award.

Other previous Award winners include 13-time GP victor David Coulthard, 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button and triple Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti.

Ticktum was one of the first members of the Young Racing Driver Academy (YRDA) ran alongside Arden Motorsport to nurture the talents of up and coming racing drivers. It is safe to say, Ticktum has excelled himself and proven he is definitely a star of the future after picking up the incredible accolade.

A huge congratulations to Ticktum and all his family from everyone at Arden Motorsport and the YRDA.

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