Formula 1: Will Dan Ticktum drive for Toro Rosso in 2019?

Could Dan Ticktum sign with Toro Rosso for the 2019 Formula 1 season with Pierre Gasly set to replace Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull Racing?

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo shocked the Formula 1 world at the beginning of August by signing a two-year contract to replace Carlos Sainz Jr. at Renault Sport starting next season.

As a result, Pierre Gasly, who currently drives for Scuderia Toro Rosso, the Red Bull Racing junior team, was announced as the replacement for the 29-year-old Australian next season, leaving one open seat for the Faenza-based team to fill with a driver before the 2019 season begins.

Could Dan Ticktum, who currently leads the Formula 3 driver standings driving for Motopark, be the driver who ends up replacing the 22-year-old Frenchman at Toro Rosso next season?

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Toro Rosso’s other current driver, rookie Brendon Hartley, is not a driver who they have been particularly pleased with. Through the first 12 races of this season, he trails Gasly by 24 points (26 to 2) in the driver standings, and he sits in 19th place in the standings with just two top 10 finishes. Both of his top 10 finishes were 10th place finishes (Azerbaijan Grand Prix and German Grand Prix).

In fact, Toro Rosso tried to replace Hartley with McLaren reserve driver Lando Norris earlier this season, only to have that move blocked by McLaren. They proceeded to try to replace him with Ticktum, but the 19-year-old Briton was not even permitted to test for the team until after the Hungarian Grand Prix due to FIA Super Licence rules.

Here is what Helmut Marko, the head of Red Bull Racing’s driver development program, had to say about the matter, according to Wheels24.

"“How are we supposed to bring our young drivers to F1?”"

When asked about the possibility of driving in Formula 1 for the Italian team next year, Ticktum did not deny the rumors. Here is what he had to say about the matter, according to Wheels24.

"“I’m in F3 so I cannot answer that. Sorry, I’d like to but I cannot. There is nothing confirmed at the moment. Of course it helps to win, but this is F3 and there is still a long way to go.”"

It is likely that in 2019, either Norris or Ticktum will fill the seat that is set to be vacated by Gasly at the end of this season. The question then becomes whether Toro Rosso will re-sign Hartley or replace him with the driver who does not replace Gasly. But how serious of a question is this at this point?

Seeing as how both Norris and Ticktum are drivers who Toro Rosso tried to replace Hartley with this season, it really shouldn’t matter which of those two drivers ends up replacing Gasly. The other should end up replacing Hartley.

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Will Dan Ticktum drive for Toro Rosso in the 2019 Formula 1 season? If not, will he drive in Formula 1 at all next year, or will he have to wait at least another season before potentially getting the opportunity to do so?

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