Latifi leaves Formula 1 with no regrets
Nicholas Latifi will be leaving motorsport's premier discipline at the end of the 2022 season. The Canadian driver failed to convince Williams management to keep him in its ranks for 2023 after three disappointing seasons in which he was dominated by his team-mates.
The Canadian driver is Alexander Albon’s teammate, and despite two years of experience within the team, he is being outshined by the Thai driver. Latifi’s lack of results and his underperformance at Monza, where replacement driver Nyck de Vries outperformed him and scored his first points in Formula 1 on his debut race, tarnish his season’s record.
Affected by this event, which played a significant role in his expulsion from the team. The Canadian expressed himself about this difficult weekend, on the Beyond The Grid podcast. First, he emphasized the excellent performance of Williams on the Italian track.
« It is probably the circuit where we were the most competitive compared to the others… I won’t talk about the strengths of our car, because we were very fast in straight lines, but the reason why we were is that we didn’t have much downforce!
»
Latifi also revisited his unflattering remarks made after the race towards his teammate. He was frustrated with his own race, and his words did not reflect what he thought of Nyck de Vries’ performance.
« It was extremely impressive: the car, as I mentioned, was more competitive there, but it remained a difficult car to drive. After that, I was frustrated with my race, and people misinterpreted what I said. I was frustrated with my race and they stuck a microphone in my face right after, which nobody really appreciates. I was annoyed by the car issues, and people took my frustration of having a bad race the wrong way.
»
After three complete seasons in Formula 1, the Canadian driver will bid farewell to the sport after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He doesn’t feel any regrets, even though he had hoped for more from his time in Formula 1.
« There are certainly many aspects that I will miss, but there are also many that I will not miss. I am not one of those people who will show bitterness. Ultimately, I do not really have any regrets about my approach to Formula 1. I would have expected much more, needless to say.
»
Logan Sargeant, who is currently in Formula 2, is the one who will take Latifi’s place next season if he obtains his super license at the end of the last Formula 2 race in Abu Dhabi.
