Two-time Macau Grand Prix winner, Dan Ticktum has been dropped from the Red Bull Driver Programme.

The Londoner was recruited to the programme in 2017, and much was expected from the youngster who had been banned from motorsport in 2015 for two years following a controversial incident during an MSA Formula race at Silverstone.

With one year of the ban suspended, Ticktum was back at the wheel in 2016, in time for the final round of the European F3 Championship at Hockenheim.

Linked with a seat at Toro Rosso, Ticktum didn't have the necessary points for his superlicence and was subsequently entered in the Japan-based Super Formula with Team Mugen.

The youngster tested for Red Bull at both the post-Bahrain and Spanish Grand Prix tests this year, however, following a poor start to the Super Formula there was talk of him being dropped by Red Bull. Today it was officially confirmed that he has been dropped from the programme.

"It's a scheme that is results based," Christian Horner told Sky Sports, "and he's had a tough time in Japan and it wasn't working out.

"He was a member of the junior team and it was decided that he wasn't the right guy moving forward as an option for either us or Toro Rosso," he continued, "therefore the sums were called.

"He was given the shot, he was given the opportunity. It's up to these guys to grab that with both hands."

Check out our Friday gallery from Spielberg, here.