After the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Nicholas Latifi said goodbye, at least for the moment, to his time in Formula 1 after three seasons with the Williams team. His usual positions were at the back of the grid, which has earned him numerous criticisms about his ability at the wheel, something that has caused the Canadian to come out to defend himself.
Latifi has lost the particular duel with his teammates, with George Russell in 2020 and 2021 and with Alexander Albon this season. Despite this, he defends himself against those who criticized him for not deserving the position: “This time that I have spent in Formula 1 has helped me a lot with character, so I am very grateful to have been here for three years. Many drivers would kill to have a career, I have managed to complete three seasons in F1“.
However, he admits that he is not satisfied with his results: “It has been hard, without a doubt. I leave with the feeling that I wanted to get more things. I would have liked to stay and try to improve with the team. But it didn’t work out, they told me (that I wouldn’t continue) quite a few races ago. Now it’s time to see what the next step will be.”
The former Williams driver also assessed whether he had met the goals he had set for himself, something that the Canadian has half-achieved: “I think When any driver reaches Formula 1, he has already achieved his first goal. Then he always wants to score points, podiums, victories… So you could say that I just managed to get there and score some points.”
“I believe that we have never had a package that allows us to fight for points constantly, not even being in the fight. But that is something collective, not just me personally. Nobody is satisfied with the situation of the team, although it was in a worse position when I arrived”, added the ‘6’.
Regarding his future, Latifi is still unclear where he will be in 2023: “For now, I’ll take some time off. I’ve spoken with several teams from different categories. I’m going to take the necessary time.”
