Ticktum responds to Latifi incident: 'Williams and I were already apart'

There is a lot going on this week around Dan Ticktum, the former Williams development driver. On Tuesday it was announced that the young Briton had been immediately dropped from Williams' junior programme, just after he made insulting remarks about Williams driver Nicholas Latifi.

Nothing to do with each other

On a Twitch stream, Ticktum is reported to have said that the only reason Latifi is driving at Williams is because of the financial investment his family is making in the team. He also jokingly said 'doo be doo be doo, Latifi is poo', indirectly calling Latifi a bad driver. In the media, these statements were quickly linked to Ticktum's departure from Williams.

Ticktum himself has now responded to the incident for the first time via his Instagram. He indicates that his statements about Latifi have nothing to do with his departure from Williams. "Williams and I parted ways before the recent incident with Latifi, just so people know. It was only announced now because there was no option for an F1 seat in 2022 for me," his post read via Reddit.

Sent away from Red Bull before

It's not the first time Ticktum has been shown the door by a Formula 1 team, as he has also had to leave Red Bull in the past. Ticktum is currently driving for Carlin in Formula 2 and is fourth in the championship. The Briton won the second sprint race in Monaco this season, and he seems keen to end the partnership with Williams on a positive note. "Thank you to Williams for the opportunity! I hope to work together again in the future," he concluded on Instagram.