Nicholas Latifi The Formula 1 career appears to be over as Williams have confirmed they will not retain the driver for the 2023 F1 season.
The 27-year-old made his F1 debut with the team in 2020, alongside george russell. Neither driver scored in a difficult year for the team, but Latifi helped end their pointless drought the following year in Hungary, driving his team-mate home by taking seventh and eighth places.
It proved the culmination of an otherwise largely unsuccessful introduction to F1 for Latifi. He only managed one more point score, in the one-lap shortened Belgian Grand Prix.
Latifi rose to prominence after crashing in last season’s finale in Abu Dhabi, sparking a safety car spell that led to the controversial conclusion of the championship. He then revealed that he suffered abuse on social media, including death threats, in the weeks that followed.
After 16 of 22 races this year, Latifi remains the only full-time driver yet to score a point. His fate worsened at the last race at Monza where he was overqualified by a replacement driver Nyck de Vrieswho then tied the team’s best finish of the season with a ninth-place finish.
Williams previously announced Latifi’s current teammate, Alexander Albon, will continue to be part of its line-up next year. He has now confirmed that Latifi will not be his teammate.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to Nicholas for his three years of hard work with Williams,” said team principal and CEO Jost Capito. “He is an excellent team player who has a great attitude towards his colleagues and his work and who is appreciated and respected throughout the company.
“Our time together is now coming to an end, but I know he will do everything possible to maximize what we can do together for the rest of this season. We wish him well for his future, both in and out. from the cockpit.
Latifi first drove for Williams in training during the 2019 season, having also driven for Force India the previous year. He thanked the team for their support during his three years of racing for them.
“My F1 debut was postponed due to the pandemic, but we finally started in Austria and, although we didn’t achieve the results together that we were hoping for, it was still a fantastic journey,” said he declared.
“Getting those first points in Hungary last year was a moment I will never forget, and I will approach the next chapter of my career with special memories of my time with this dedicated team. ‘between us will not stop making every effort until the end of the season.
Consult the current list of F1 2023 drivers and teams
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