Nicholas Latifi
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Nicholas Daniel Latifi (born 29 June 1995) is a
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
racing driver who last raced for
Williams Racing Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, currently racing in Formula One as Williams Racing, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded by former team owner Frank Williams (Formula One), Frank Williams and aut ...
under the Canadian flag in the
2022 Formula One World Championship The 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship was a motor racing championship for Formula One cars which was the 73rd running of the Formula One World Championship. It is recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), th ...
. Latifi made his
Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
debut at the
2020 Austrian Grand Prix The 2020 Austrian Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Rolex Großer Preis von Österreich 2020) was a Formula One motor race that was held on 5 July 2020 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. The race was the opening round of th ...
and has served as a test and reserve driver for
Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...
,
Force India Force India Formula One Team Limited, commonly known as Force India and later Sahara Force India, was a Formula One racing team and constructor based in Silverstone, United Kingdom, with an Indian licence. The team was formed in October 20 ...
and Williams. He finished runner-up in the
2019 Formula 2 Championship The 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship was the fifty-third season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also third season under the moniker of FIA Formula 2 Championship, a motor racing championship for Formula 2 cars that i ...
with
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. Latifi left Williams at the end of the 2022 season.


Early life

Born in
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
, Latifi grew up in
North York North York is one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located directly north of York, Old Toronto and East York, between Etobicoke to the west and Scarborough to the east. As of the 2016 Census, it had a po ...
,
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
. He is the son of
Michael Latifi Michael Mehrdad Latifi (born October 1962 in Iran) is an Iranian-Canadian businessman. He is the owner, Chairman and CEO of Sofina Foods Inc., a Markham, Ontario-based manufacturer of processed animal products. Sofina acquired Lilydale in a C$ ...
, an Iranian-Canadian businessman who is the CEO of Sofina Foods, Inc. and also owns the
British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Brit ...
company Nidala. His mother, Marilena Latifi (née Russo), an Italian-Canadian with Sicilian parents, was born into the Saputo family which founded the dairy company Saputo Inc. Latifi has three siblings; Soph, Michael and Matthew.


Junior racing career


Karting

Latifi began his
karting Kart racing or karting is a road racing variant of motorsport with open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on ...
career in 2009, at the relatively late age of 13. In 2010, he finished as the runner-up in the Rotax Junior class of the Canadian National Karting Championship. Latifi continued competing in Canadian and American karting series until 2012, when he won the Florida Winter Tour championship in the Rotax DD2 class. He later made an appearance in the Shifter ROK class of the Florida Winter Tour in 2015, competing against former Formula One drivers
Rubens Barrichello Rubens "Rubinho" Gonçalves Barrichello (, ; born 23 May 1972) is a Brazilian professional racing driver who competed in Formula One between and . He currently competes full-time in the Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series, driving the No. 111 T ...
and
Nelson Piquet Jr. Nelson Angelo Tamsma Piquet Souto Maior (born July 25, 1985), also known as Nelson Piquet Junior or Nelsinho Piquet, is a Brazilian stock car racing driver and former Formula One and Formula E driver where he was champion in the 2014–15 seaso ...


Formula 3

Latifi's single-seater debut came in the
2012 Italian Formula Three Championship The 2012 Italian Formula Three Championship was the 48th and the final season Italian Formula Three Championship season. It was the first split in European and Italian series. The European Championship began on 31 March in Valencia, while the Ita ...
with BVM. He finished the season in 7th place, having taken one win at the Vallelunga Circuit and three further podium finishes. At the start of the following year, Latifi raced in the 2013 Toyota Racing Series, finishing 9th in the championship with a best finish of 6th at
Timaru Timaru (; mi, Te Tihi-o-Maru) is a port city in the southern Canterbury Region of New Zealand, located southwest of Christchurch and about northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home to ...
and scoring points in every race. Latifi then took part in a full season of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, driving for Carlin. He ended the season in 15th place, his best finishes being two 5th places at
Silverstone Silverstone is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Towcester on the former A43 main road, from the M1 motorway junction 15A and about from the M40 motorway junction 10, Northampton, Milton Keynes and ...
and the
Red Bull Ring The Red Bull Ring is a motorsport race track in Spielberg, Styria, Austria. The race circuit was founded as Österreichring (translation: Austrian Circuit) and hosted the Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from to . It was later s ...
. During his European Formula 3 campaign, Latifi also raced in the
British Formula 3 International Series The British Formula Three Championship was an international motor racing series that took place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It was a junior-level feeder formula that used small single s ...
, finishing 5th and taking two pole positions along with a podium finish at
Brands Hatch Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in West Kingsdown, Kent, England, United Kingdom. Originally used as a grasstrack motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently hos ...
. Additionally, he competed in the
2013 Masters of Formula 3 The 2013 Masters of Formula 3 was the 23rd Masters of Formula 3 race held at Circuit Park Zandvoort Circuit Zandvoort (), known for sponsorship reasons as CM.com Circuit Zandvoort, and previously known as Circuit Park Zandvoort until 2017, is ...
race at
Zandvoort Zandvoort () is a municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach. It is bordered by coastal dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park and the Amsterdam ...
, qualifying 8th and finishing 7th. Latifi continued racing in European Formula 3 in
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
, moving to Prema Powerteam alongside future Formula One competitor
Esteban Ocon Esteban José Jean-Pierre Ocon-Khelfane (; born 17 September 1996) is a French racing driver who competes for Alpine in Formula One. He made his Formula One debut for Manor Racing in the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix, replacing Rio Haryanto. He mov ...
. Latifi finished 10th in the championship after missing the final round to compete in Formula Renault 3.5, with his best finish being 2nd place at
Silverstone Silverstone is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Towcester on the former A43 main road, from the M1 motorway junction 15A and about from the M40 motorway junction 10, Northampton, Milton Keynes and ...
. In November 2014 he made his only appearance at the Macau Grand Prix. He qualified 9th, finishing 7th in the qualifying race and then taking 5th place in the main race.


Formula Renault 3.5

Latifi competed in the final three rounds of the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 Series for Tech 1 Racing, taking 2nd place in the final race at Jerez and placing 20th in the standings. He then moved to Arden Motorsport and competed in a full season in
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
. He finished the season in 11th place, taking one fastest lap. His best finishes were two 4th places at
Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has he ...
and at the
Red Bull Ring The Red Bull Ring is a motorsport race track in Spielberg, Styria, Austria. The race circuit was founded as Österreichring (translation: Austrian Circuit) and hosted the Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from to . It was later s ...
, to place 11th overall, behind teammate Egor Orudzhev.


Sports car racing

Latifi competed in the 2012 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge for Rehagen Racing, driving a
Ford Mustang GT The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best sellin ...
. In 2014, he made an appearance in the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain driving for
Redline Racing Redline Racing is a British racing team that is currently competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain and are defending team and drivers champions. They have previously competed in the Porsche Supercup between 2007 and 2008. Early h ...
at Rockingham. He retired from the first round but scored a 4th-place finish in the second round. He had a longer campaign in
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
, competing in four of the eight rounds and taking 2nd place in the first race at
Oulton Park Oulton Park is a hard surfaced track used for motor racing, close to the village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington, with a nearby rail connection al ...
. He finished 11th in the standings.


GP2 Series


2014

Latifi made his debut in the
GP2 Series The GP2 Series was a form of open wheel motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000. The GP2 format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, while Eccles ...
at the 2014
Yas Marina Yas Island ( ar, جزيرة ياس) is an island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It occupies a total land area of . It is a popular leisure island and one of the top tourism projects in Abu Dhabi. Yas Island holds the Yas Marina Circuit, wh ...
round where he replaced Daniel Abt at
Hilmer Motorsport Hilmer Motorsport was a German racing team established in 2013 by Franz Hilmer. The team first raced in the GP2 Series, starting in 2013, replacing Ocean Racing Technology. Hilmer joined the GP3 Series in 2014 with support from Force India, re ...
. He finished the races in 22nd and 17th, placing 32nd in the championship.


2015

In
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
, Latifi competed in four selected rounds with MP Motorsport, taking over Oliver Rowland's seat. Unfortunately, Latifi could not score any points and had a best finish of 11th during the Bahrain sprint race.


2016

In
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
, he secured a full-time seat in the series at
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alongside Alex Lynn. He started his season in good fashion, taking second place at the first race in
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, which would be his only podium of the year. He then went on to finish seventh in the sprint race. Despite this strong start, he could manage only two more points finishes during the season. He had a double retirement in
Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
, and a difficult weekend in
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world an ...
. His next points would come with tenth place at the first race of the Spielberg round. He came close to points in the Silverstone round, finishing 11th and tenth. In
Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has he ...
, Latifi was once again near point, finishing ninth during the sprint race. His next and last points finish of the season would come at the final round in Abu Dhabi, where he finished ninth in the feature race before dropping to 12th in the sprint. Overall, Latifi ended the season in 16th place in the championship with 23 points, ten places and 101 points behind teammate Lynn. DAMS finished fifth in the championship. At the end of the year, Latifi took part in post-season testing remaining with DAMS, and set the fastest lap time.


Formula 2 Championship


2017

The GP2 Series was re-branded as the
Formula 2 Championship The FIA Formula 2 Championship is a second-tier single-seater championship organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Held on racing circuits, the championship was introduced in 2017, following the rebranding of the lo ...
for
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
, and Latifi retained his seat at
DAMS A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
, now alongside Oliver Rowland. 2017 proved to be a far more successful year for Latifi. In the first round at Bahrain, Latifi scored points in the sprint race with fourth, having missed out on it during the feature race. In
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, Latifi started ninth and finished sixth in the feature race. A good start saw him take the lead of the sprint race on lap 1 and led for much of the race. On lap 22, Latifi made a mistake, running wide through the gravel and allowing
Nobuharu Matsushita is a Japanese racing driver currently competing in Super GT and Super Formula. He formerly competed in the 2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship for MP Motorsport before being replaced by current Super Formula driver Giuliano Alesi. Early career ...
and teammate Rowland to pass him. Nevertheless, he took his first podium of the year by finishing third and recording the fastest lap. Latifi had an unlucky weekend, retiring with an engine failure in the feature race while running eighth. It took a toll on his sprint race, as he could not rescue points in the sprint race and only finished 13th. Latifi qualified third in
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world an ...
, and finished in the same position. Latifi benefitted from collisions and retirements in the sprint race, to end third, capping off a highly successful weekend. Latifi achieved a second place finish in the feature race at the
Red Bull Ring The Red Bull Ring is a motorsport race track in Spielberg, Styria, Austria. The race circuit was founded as Österreichring (translation: Austrian Circuit) and hosted the Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from to . It was later s ...
. He pitted the earliest of anyone which paid off, and finished only 1.3 seconds behind winner
Charles Leclerc Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc (; born 16 October 1997) is a Monégasque racing driver, currently racing in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari. He won the GP3 Series championship in 2016 and the FIA Formula 2 Championship in . Leclerc ...
. Latifi finished eighth in the sprint race. In
Silverstone Silverstone is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Towcester on the former A43 main road, from the M1 motorway junction 15A and about from the M40 motorway junction 10, Northampton, Milton Keynes and ...
, Latifi finished the feature race in eighth. Starting third in the sprint, he drove a commanding race to take victory, marking his first race win in any racing series since 2012. In
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...
, Latifi finished second in the feature race, inheriting a place after
Artem Markelov Artem Valeryevich Markelov ( rus, Артём Вале́рьевич Марке́лов, p=ɐrˈtʲɵm vɐˈlʲerʲjɪvʲɪtɕ mɐrˈkʲeləf; born 10 September 1994) is a Russian racing driver who last competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship ...
crashed near the end. In the sprint race, he finished sixth. Latifi had an unfortunate weekend in
Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has he ...
. He was set to second for the feature race, but an engine failure saw the Canadian unable to take the start. From 18th in the sprint race, Latifi pressed on to finish ninth. In
Monza Monza (, ; lmo, label= Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Mo ...
, Latifi started only 14th for the feature race but made a supreme charge, climbing places to claim third and another podium in wet conditions. During the sprint race, front wing damage, mistakes and tyre degradation saw him slip to 16th. In Jerez, Latifi finished fourth in the feature race. From fifth in the sprint, he dispatched rivals to move into second place, and stayed there until the end. At the final round in Abu Dhabi Latifi charged from 11th to fifth in the feature race, before ending the season with third place and the fastest lap in the sprint race. Overall, Latifi ended the season 5th place in the championship with 178 points, two places and 13 points behind teammate Rowland. DAMS ended third in the championship. In an article by
Motorsport.com Motorsport.com is a website specializing in motor racing news. It posts content in thirteen languages. It is part of the Motorsport Network company. Motorsport.com's headquarters are in Miami, United States. History Motorsport.com was formed i ...
, Latifi was ranked 14th of 20 of top junior single-seater drivers of 2017.


2018

He continued with
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in
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, now partnering future
Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
teammate
Alexander Albon Alexander Albon Ansusinha ( th, อเล็กซานเดอร์ อัลบอน อังศุสิงห์; , , born 23 March 1996) is a Thai-British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Williams Racing, under t ...
in a season that proved less successful than 2017. During the Bahrain opening round, Latifi failed to score points, finishing 11th in the feature race and tenth in the sprint, despite starting from the pit lane in the latter race. In
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world an ...
, an issue in qualifying saw Latifi start last in the feature race. Despite that, he carved his way through the field and finished fifth, scoring his first points of the season. Starting fourth in the sprint race, Latifi zoomed into the lead by the first corner. He would soon be passed by Sérgio Sette Câmara, Nyck de Vries and future Formula One teammate George Russell to finish fourth. However, a disqualification from Sette Câmara saw Latifi promoted to third, and score his maiden podium of the year. During the third round in Barcelona, Latifi qualified sixth. However, Latifi stalled at the start of the feature race and was two minutes down the leader by the time he got going. Latifi finished 14th and last in the race, one lap down. In the sprint race, he salvaged a point in eighth place. Latifi started 18th in
Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
due to an incident-packed qualifying. He battled his way to ninth in the feature race and finished eighth in the sprint race. Latifi started tenth in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in the feature race. He was hit from behind and fell to 17th. However, he put in a storming drive to climb to seventh and score points. Starting second in the sprint race, Latifi fell down the order and contact on the final lap with Lando Norris saw him drop to eighth in the end. At the Red Bull Ring round, Latifi started 19th and finished 11th in the feature race. In the sprint race, Latifi secured a point with eighth place. In
Silverstone Silverstone is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Towcester on the former A43 main road, from the M1 motorway junction 15A and about from the M40 motorway junction 10, Northampton, Milton Keynes and ...
, Latifi qualified 16th, tyre wear and contact hindered either of his races and he finished 16th and 17th. Latifi had another poor weekend in
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
, qualifying 14th. He made his way into the top 10 of the feature race, before a broken alternator saw him retire with just a few laps to go. In the sprint race, Latifi soared to 13th from 19th on the opening lap, before contact with the retiring Maximilian Günther saw Latifi make a pit stop and finish 16th. In
Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has he ...
, Latifi started 12th in the feature race and pushed his way to eighth, taking reverse pole for the sprint race. From there, he won the sprint race by ten seconds, taking his only win of the year. Latifi qualified a decent fifth in
Monza Monza (, ; lmo, label= Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Mo ...
and finished in the same position in the feature race. He finished one place higher in the sprint race, having started in the same position. In
Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents i ...
, Latifi qualified fourth. He made a comeback after his pit stop, and finished second to round out a DAMS 1–2 finish. He later took 2nd place at the feature race in
Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents i ...
. In the sprint race, Latifi sprung from seventh to second by Turn 4, only for Alessio Lorandi to spin him into the wall at the next corner. Latifi had his best qualifying of the year in
Yas Marina Yas Island ( ar, جزيرة ياس) is an island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It occupies a total land area of . It is a popular leisure island and one of the top tourism projects in Abu Dhabi. Yas Island holds the Yas Marina Circuit, wh ...
, qualifying third. However, Latifi stalled on the grid and was collected by Arjun Maini, both their cars massively destroyed. Fortunately, both drivers escaped unhurt. Latifi's car was repaired before the sprint race, only for him to stall again. He finished nearly a lap down in 15th place. Latifi ended the season in ninth place with 91 points, six places and 121 points behind teammate Albon. He scored a total of three podiums, including one win.


2019

Latifi remained at
DAMS A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
for the fourth consecutive season in
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, alongside Sérgio Sette Câmara. During the opening Bahrain round, Latifi qualified fourth for the feature race. He moved to third at the start and by lap 9, took the lead of the race. A slow pit stop saw Latifi back down to fourth, but managed to re-pass them back and win his first F2 feature race by nine seconds. In the sprint race, a strong start saw him up to third on the opening lap, and was soon second when
Luca Ghiotto Luca Ghiotto (born 24 February 1995) is an Italian racing driver who most recently raced in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for DAMS. Career Karting Born in Arzignano, Ghiotto entered karting in 2008, when he took the title in the KF3 class of ...
pitted. But Ghiotto passed him later in the race and Latifi would finish third. His strong start saw him second in the championship. For the second round in Baku, Latifi qualified in seventh position. In an action-packed race, Latifi finished fourth, having lost out to Jordan King in the final laps. In the sprint race, Latifi quickly worked his way into the lead, taking it from
Sean Gelael Muhammad Sean Ricardo Gelael (born 1 November 1996) is an Indonesians, Indonesian racing driver currently competing with W Racing Team, WRT in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He competed in GP2 Series from 2015 to 2016, and the FIA Formula ...
on lap 6 and never looked back to take victory and the championship lead. In
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, Latifi secured the front row in qualifying. He passed Ghiotto at the start but eventually lost into turn 1 to Guanyu Zhou. With seven laps to go, Latifi reclaimed the lead from Zhou and took his third victory in five races. In the sprint race, Latifi ended sixth. After the first three rounds, Latifi led the championship, 30 points clear of 3rd-placed and eventual title rival Nyck de Vries. However, Latifi had a poor showing in the fourth round in
Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
, during which Latifi qualified eighth, compunded with a grid penalty. Latifi finished his feature race in 12th, following an incident with
Sean Gelael Muhammad Sean Ricardo Gelael (born 1 November 1996) is an Indonesians, Indonesian racing driver currently competing with W Racing Team, WRT in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He competed in GP2 Series from 2015 to 2016, and the FIA Formula ...
. In the sprint race, Latifi ended tenth, in a track where overtaking was notoriously difficult. He also did set the fastest lap and gained two points. However, De Vries closed the gap to just one point. In
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, Latifi secured fifth, after a slow pit stop in the feature race. Latifi finished sixth in the sprint race, having had a slow start. With De Vries winning the feature race, Latifi moved down to second in the championship, trailing by 12 points. In
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, Latifi qualified in sixth position. During the feature race, on his 24th birthday, Latifi was comfortably running in the points before teammate Sette Câmara spun him round and fell to 19th. Latifi made a stirring recovery drive to finish ninth. Latifi mastered to sixth in the sprint race. In
Silverstone Silverstone is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Towcester on the former A43 main road, from the M1 motorway junction 15A and about from the M40 motorway junction 10, Northampton, Milton Keynes and ...
, Latifi started fourth in the feature race, and passed Sette Câmara on the first lap. He then duelled with Ghiotto mid-race after the pit stops, in which Latifi led for a few laps. However, Latifi settled for second after unable to find a way past Ghiotto. It was Latifi's first podium since the third round. In the sprint race, Latifi worked his way to fifth. By this point, De Vries had extended his championship lead to 21 points. In
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
, Latifi qualified third, his first top 3 start of the season. He moved up to first place within the first few corners, passing Ghiotto and polesitter De Vries. He proceeded to take a dominant victory, which would be his final of the year. In the sprint race, Latifi secured seventh place. For the Spa-Francorchamps round, Latifi would have been set to start in 11th, with De Vries on pole. However, event was cancelled after lap 2 of the feature race, as a tragic accident claimed the life of Anthoine Hubert. In
Monza Monza (, ; lmo, label= Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Mo ...
, Latifi qualified sixth. He battled for the podium places in the beginning but on lap 13 made contact with Guanyu Zhou, damaging Latifi's front wing. In the sprint race, Latifi had no pace capping off his point-less weekend in tenth. At this point with two rounds to go, Latifi was still in second place in the championship trailing De Vries by 59 points, and ahead of third-placed Ghiotto by just nine points. Latifi then stated that he would "focus on consolidating second in the championship". In
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
, Latifi had his best qualifying of the year, securing second alongside De Vries. He drove a clean feature race and finished second to De Vries, who had clinched the title with enough of a points gap. In the sprint race, Latifi drove a solid race and finished fifth. In the Yas Marina season finale, Latifi started seventh in the feature race, and finished in the same position. In the sprint race, Ghiotto passed him at the start. But Latifi was back in second after he passed
Giuliano Alesi Giuliano Ryu Alesi (born 20 September 1999) is a French- Japanese racing driver. He is the son of Japanese former actress Kumiko Goto and former Formula One driver Jean Alesi. Career Karting Born in Avignon, Alesi began karting in 2013 before ...
. He went on to finish second in his final F2 race. Latifi ended the season with 214 points and as the championship runner-up to De Vries. He ended two places and 10 points ahead of teammate Sette Câmara, and helped DAMS claimed the teams' title. Latifi also achieved four wins, four other podium finishes and four fastest laps


Formula One

Latifi was signed as
Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...
's new test driver for the 2016 season. He drove a Formula One car for the first time in a test in May of that year, completing 140 laps at
Silverstone Silverstone is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Towcester on the former A43 main road, from the M1 motorway junction 15A and about from the M40 motorway junction 10, Northampton, Milton Keynes and ...
in the Renault-powered Lotus E20. His first test in an in-use Formula One car came on one year later at the post-race test at the
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya () is a motorsport race track in Montmeló, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is seen as an all-rounder circuit. The track has stand ...
, driving the Renault R.S.17 and completing 141 laps. He later tested again for the team at the
Hungaroring The Hungaroring is a motorsport racetrack in Mogyoród, Pest County, Hungary where the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain. Bernie Ecclestone w ...
. Latifi was announced as a
Force India Force India Formula One Team Limited, commonly known as Force India and later Sahara Force India, was a Formula One racing team and constructor based in Silverstone, United Kingdom, with an Indian licence. The team was formed in October 20 ...
test and reserve driver for the 2018 season. He first tested the
Force India VJM11 The Force India VJM11 is a Formula One racing car designed and constructed by Force India to compete during the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship. The car was driven by Sergio Pérez and Esteban Ocon, and made its competitive début at ...
after the
Spanish Grand Prix The Spanish Grand Prix ( es, Gran Premio de España, ca, Gran Premi d'Espanya) is a Formula One motor racing event currently held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The race is one of the oldest in the world still contested, celebrating it ...
, and racked up a total of 107 laps. He made his Grand Prix weekend debut with the team during the first practice session (FP1) of his home race in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
, where he clocked a time of 1.17.145, which was 19th fastest. Latifi had another F1 test, after the
Hungarian Grand Prix The Hungarian Grand Prix ( hu, Magyar Nagydíj) is a motor racing event held annually in Mogyoród. Since 1986, the race has been a round of the FIA Formula One World Championship. History Origins The first Hungarian Grand Prix was held on 2 ...
. Latifi added four more practice sessions at the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
, Russian,
Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
and Brazilian Grands Prix. For the 2019 season Latifi joined Williams as a test and reserve driver. He made his testing debut with Williams at the Bahrain International Circuit, and there was more testing to follow at the
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya () is a motorsport race track in Montmeló, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is seen as an all-rounder circuit. The track has stand ...
. He participated in six FP1 sessions that year, at the
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, Belgian,
Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
and Brazilian Grands Prix. Latifi also took part in the 2019 post-season testing at the
Yas Marina Circuit The Yas Marina Circuit (Arabic: حلبة مرسى ياس) is the venue for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke, and is situated on Yas Island, near Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Yas Marina w ...
.


Williams (2020–2022)


2020 season

Latifi joined Williams as a race driver for the season, replacing Robert Kubica and partnering former Formula 2 competitor George Russell. Latifi raced under an American license in 2020 after Canada's national sporting authority resigned its mandate from the
FIA FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used. Fia or FIA may also refer to: People * Fia Backs ...
. However, Latifi is still officially recognised as Canadian on race weekends. Latifi's race number is 6, chosen as a reference to a nickname of his home city,
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
. It was also the same number he used on his
DAMS A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
F2 car. Latifi was due to make his Formula One debut at the season-opening . He was entered into the race, however, it was later cancelled in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. His debut instead came at the where it did not go so smoothly at first. He crashed in Free practice 3 (FP3) but his car was able to be fixed in time for qualifying, and secured last on the grid in 20th. However, Latifi finished the race in 11th place after nine other cars retired during the race. For the , Latifi qualified 18th and would finish last in 17th during the race. He qualified 15th for the , the first and only time in 2020 that he would reach the second qualifying session. He made a good start in the race and ran as high as tenth before his pit stop. However, he was released into the path of
Carlos Sainz Jr. Carlos Sainz Vázquez de Castro (; born 1 September 1994), otherwise known as Carlos Sainz Jr. or simply Carlos Sainz, is a Spanish racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari. He is the son of Carlos Sainz Sr., a d ...
after his pit stop and suffered a puncture on his rear-left tyre. Latifi had a spin on lap 43 later in the race, and eventually finished the race five laps behind the leaders. Latifi qualified 20th at the , having spun on his flying lap. He finished the race in 15th, and following the race, stated that he made his "first legit overtake in Formula 1", doing so on
Kimi Räikkönen Kimi-Matias Räikkönen (; born 17 October 1979), nicknamed "The Iceman", is a Finnish racing driver who competed in Formula One between 2001 and 2021 for Sauber, McLaren, Ferrari, Lotus, and Alfa Romeo. Räikkönen won the 2007 Formula One Wor ...
. Latifi had quiet races at the 70th Anniversary and the , in which he finished 19th and 18th. At the , Latifi qualified 19th. He made a two-stop during the race to finish 16th, ahead of
Kevin Magnussen Kevin Jan Magnussen (born 5 October 1992) is a Danish racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Haas F1 Team. He is the son of four-time Le Mans winner and former Formula One driver Jan Magnussen. Kevin Magnussen came up through M ...
and only 2.8 seconds behind
Charles Leclerc Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc (; born 16 October 1997) is a Monégasque racing driver, currently racing in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari. He won the GP3 Series championship in 2016 and the FIA Formula 2 Championship in . Leclerc ...
's
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
. The following race at the , Latifi qualified last, sharing the same row with teammate Russell. In the race, Latifi pitted just before Magnussen stopped on track, and gained numerous positions as the pit entry was closed during a safety car period. A red flag saw Latifi line up in ninth position before the race restart. He lost places to both Renaults at the start and
Daniil Kvyat Daniil Vyacheslavovich Kvyat ( rus, Дании́л Вячесла́вович Квят, p=dənʲɪˈil vʲɪtɕɪˈslavəvʲɪtɕ ˈkvʲat; born 26 April 1994) is a Russian professional racing driver who competed in Formula One between 2014 ...
would follow suit. In the final few laps, Latifi overtook Räikkönen on worn tyres to finish 11th, matching his joint-best result. Latifi also finished ahead of five other cars including teammate Russell. At the Latifi qualified 19th and he was eliminated in a multi-car accident at the safety car restart. This marked his first Formula One retirement. Latifi qualified 19th again at the , having crashed in first practice. However, an engine saw him demoted to the back of the grid. He went on to finish 16th in the race, beating Russell. Latifi had poor weekends at the
Eifel Grand Prix The Eifel (; lb, Äifel, ) is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Community o ...
and the , he lacked pace and finished 14th and 18th respectively. At the , Latifi started 19th and ran as high as seventh before making his pit stop. After a late safety car, Latifi recorded another 11th place finish, finishing less than a second behind
Antonio Giovinazzi Antonio Maria Giovinazzi (; born 14 December 1993) is an Italian racing driver who currently serves as the reserve driver for Scuderia Ferrari, Haas and Alfa Romeo Racing. He was the 2015 FIA Formula 3 European Championship runner-up and race ...
. At the , Latifi qualified 19th, having beached his car in the gravel at the end of Q1. He spun on the first lap having started from the pits and struggled for pace in the race. His race ended when he collided with
Romain Grosjean Romain David Jeremie Grosjean (; born 17 April 1986) is a Swiss-French professional racing driver, competing under the French flag in the NTT IndyCar Series, driving the No. 28 Honda for Andretti Autosport. Grosjean had previously spent nine ...
, who was trying to unlap him. At the , Latifi qualified last, but demonstrated solid pace in the race to secure 14th, finishing ahead of both Alfa Romeo cars. For the , Latifi qualified 17th. He also outqualified a Formula 1 teammate for the first time, beating Jack Aitken, who was substituting for Russell. While running in 13th place ahead of both Alfa Romeo and Haas cars, an oil leak capped saw his race came to a premature end. The final round at
Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dha ...
saw Latifi qualify last, having spun whilst preparing for his flying lap. He finished his race in 17th, ahead of both Haas drivers. Latifi ended his debut season 21st in the drivers' championship, the lowest of all full-time drivers. Additionally, both him and the Williams team failed to score points.


2021 season

Williams retained Latifi alongside George Russell for the season. During the season-opening , Latifi qualified 17th and retired in the race with a turbocharger issue. At the following race, the , Latifi advanced to Q2 and achieved his career-best qualifying position with 14th place. He did not finish the race after spinning on lap 1, and moments later collided with Nikita Mazepin. On the incident, Latifi only realised Mazepin had tagged him through the TV replay. At the , Latifi's highlight of the weekend being Mick Schumacher passing him late in the race. At the , Latifi had a lonely race, started 19th to finish in 16th place, just ahead of
Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver currently competing for Alpine in Formula One. He won the series' World Drivers' Championship in and with Renault, and has also driven for McLaren, Ferrari, and Mi ...
's
Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...
and nearly crashed on the final lap. For his first ever , Latifi sported a one-off helmet in Williams' 750th race. Having started 18th, he finished the race in 15th place whilst "dehydrated" and " orgettingto connecting drinks tube". At the , Latifi qualified 16th in an incident-packed session. He finished the race in 13th place, but was given a 30-second penalty for not going through the pit lane despite being instructed to do so. He was re-classified 16th. At the , Latifi qualified 16th again, missing out on Q2 by 2 thousandths of a second. In a race with zero retirements, Latifi struggled to 18th place only ahead of both Haas drivers. At the
Styrian Grand Prix The Styrian Grand Prix (german: Großer Preis der Steiermark) was a Formula One motor racing event held at the Red Bull Ring, named after Styria, the province of Austria in which the circuit is located. Created in 2020 to maximize the number of ...
, Latifi qualified 16th for the third race in a row, missing out by 33 thousandths of a second. He was hit by
Pierre Gasly Pierre Gasly (; born 7 February 1996) is a French racing driver, currently competing in Formula One under the French flag, racing for Scuderia AlphaTauri. He is the 2016 GP2 Series champion, and the runner-up in the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 ...
at the start, which caused a rear-right puncture in Latifi's tyre. Having to cope with blue flags, Latifi finished 17th. At the , Latifi had an uneventful weekend; starting 18th and finished 15th, before being demoted to 16th due to failing to slow during yellow flags. At the , Latifi had an uneventful weekend, he finished in 14th place. At the , Latifi qualified only 18th. Latifi capitalised on a first-lap incident saw him as high as third, after the race restart. He would eventually be overtaken by faster cars but eventually finish eighth, just ahead of teammate Russell. However, Latifi was promoted to seventh after
Sebastian Vettel Sebastian Vettel (; born 3 July 1987) is a German racing driver who competed in Formula One from 2007 to 2022 for BMW Sauber, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. Vettel is one of the most successful drivers in Formula One histo ...
was disqualified over a fuel issue, scoring his first F1 points and describing his feelings as "super happy". At the
Belgian Grand Prix The Belgian Grand Prix ( French: ''Grand Prix de Belgique''; Dutch: ''Grote Prijs van België''; German: ''Großer Preis von Belgien'') is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship. The first national race o ...
, Latifi followed his success from Hungary with a 12th place in qualifying. He was promoted to tenth following penalties for
Valtteri Bottas Valtteri Viktor Bottas (; born 28 August 1989) is a Finnish racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Alfa Romeo, having previously driven for Mercedes from to and Williams from to . Bottas has scored race wins and podiums. H ...
and Lando Norris but started ninth after
Sergio Pérez Sergio Michel "Checo" Pérez Mendoza (; born 26 January 1990), is a Mexican racing driver who races in Formula One for Red Bull Racing, having previously driven for Sauber, McLaren, Force India, and Racing Point. He won his first Formula ...
crashed on his reconnaissance lap. With the race run entirely behind the safety car, Latifi was classified ninth, whilst teammate Russell finished second meaning Williams scored a double points finish for the second consecutive race. This race would be Latifi's final points finish of the season. At the , Latifi progressed to Q2 for the second race in a row. However during a flying lap, Latifi lost control of his car and shunted into the wall, qualifying 14th. However, Latifi would be relegated to start from the pit lane due to change car components overnight. During the race, Latifi finished 17th, after struggling with tyres in the end. At the , Latifi finished 14th in the sprint, having qualified 16th. In the race, Latifi was running in tenth place after the safety car restart but lost out to
Esteban Ocon Esteban José Jean-Pierre Ocon-Khelfane (; born 17 September 1996) is a French racing driver who competes for Alpine in Formula One. He made his Formula One debut for Manor Racing in the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix, replacing Rio Haryanto. He mov ...
, finishing 11th. At the
Russian Grand Prix The Russian Grand Prix (russian: Гран-при России, Gran-pri Rossii) was an annual motor racing event held at Sochi Autodrom – a permanent circuit built around the Olympic Park in Sochi – as part of the Formula One World Champion ...
, Latifi qualified 14th but started 18th due to an engine penalty. He got stuck behind Nikita Mazepin for a while and retired on lap 47 with accident damage after colliding with the wall. Latifi had incident-packed and uncompetitive races at the Turkish,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
and
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
Grands Prix, finishing 17th, 15th and 17th respectively. At the , Latifi qualified 16th and Russell 17th, the first time Latifi has outqualified Russell in a qualifying session. He finished the sprint and the race in the same position. Starting 17th at the , Latifi had a quiet race until lap 51, where his front-left tyre suffered a puncture and he was forced to retire. At the , Latifi qualified 17th, he avoided all the crashes during the race to finish 12th. At the season ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Latifi was running 16th and last whilst battling with Mick Schumacher when he crashed out of the race on lap 53, causing the safety car to be deployed. A controversial decision taken during the safety car period by race director Michael Masi allowed
Max Verstappen Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Belgian-Dutch racing driver and the 2021 and 2022 Formula One World Champion. He competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One with Red Bull Racing. Verstappen is the son of racing dr ...
, who was running in second place before the crash, to overtake leader
Lewis Hamilton Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes. In Formula One, Hamilton has won a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Mic ...
and win both the race and the World Drivers' Championship. Latifi subsequently apologized for the incident, for which he was the target of threats and hate messages from fans on social media. On 21 December, he released a statement on his website addressing the online abuse he received, which he described as "shocking – and something I am calling out."


2022 season

Latifi stayed with Williams for the 2022 season, alongside a new teammate, former
Red Bull Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwide, inclu ...
driver Alex Albon. At the , Latifi qualified last, in 20th for the first race in the new era. He lacked pace and finished 16th, only ahead of
Nico Hülkenberg Nicolas Hülkenberg (, born 19 August 1987) is a German professional racing driver who is scheduled to make a full-time racing return to Formula 1 with Haas F1 Team in 2023, after serving as a reserve driver for Aston Martin F1 Team for the yea ...
. At the , his weekend was "disappointing", as he crashed on his own during both qualifying and the race. At the , Latifi was involved in another crash in qualifying, this time colliding with Lance Stroll. Stroll was given a penalty for the incident. He finished 16th in the race, struggling for pace. At the , Latifi finished 16th in the race. By this point Latifi had yet to finish higher than 16th place while teammate Albon had scored a point. This saw Williams team boss Jost Capito to "rebuilt isconfidence". At the , Latifi secured his highest finish up till that point, 14th in an incident-packed race. The saw him finish 16th, the first time he finished ahead of Albon as teammates. Latifi crashed on the
formation lap A parade lap, also known as a pace lap, formation lap or warm-up lap, is a lap before a motorsport race begins, in which the drivers go around the track at a slow speed (usually between ), and, in some cases, behind the safety car. Purpose Th ...
of the
Monaco Grand Prix The Monaco Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de Monaco) is a Formula One motor racing event held annually on the Circuit de Monaco, in late May or early June. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigio ...
, but managed to start the race, which he finished in 15th. After the race, Carlos Sainz accused Latifi of costing him the victory by holding him up under blue flags. At his first home , Latifi crossed the line in 16th place. Due to poor performances, Latifi was rumoured to be replaced by 2021 F2 champion Oscar Piastri following the Canadian Grand Prix, but Capito declined that statement. Latifi reached the third qualifying session (Q3) for the first time at the
British Grand Prix The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor race organised in the United Kingdom by the Royal Automobile Club. First held in 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 and has been a round of the FIA Formula One World Cha ...
, qualifying tenth. He improved to eighth at the start, but suffered floor damage later and eventually finished 12th. At the , Latifi once again suffered floor damage and retired on lap 48 to conserve engine wear. At the , Latifi retired after colliding with
Kevin Magnussen Kevin Jan Magnussen (born 5 October 1992) is a Danish racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Haas F1 Team. He is the son of four-time Le Mans winner and former Formula One driver Jan Magnussen. Kevin Magnussen came up through M ...
on lap 38. At the
Hungarian Grand Prix The Hungarian Grand Prix ( hu, Magyar Nagydíj) is a motor racing event held annually in Mogyoród. Since 1986, the race has been a round of the FIA Formula One World Championship. History Origins The first Hungarian Grand Prix was held on 2 ...
, Latifi topped the final practice session in wet conditions. However, he set the 20th fastest (and slowest) time of qualifying having made a mistake at the final corner of the
Hungaroring The Hungaroring is a motorsport racetrack in Mogyoród, Pest County, Hungary where the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain. Bernie Ecclestone w ...
on his final attempt in Q1 despite being fastest through the first sector. Front wing damage compromised the start of his race, and he finished just behind Albon in 18th place. At the , Latifi qualified in 17th place but started 11th due to grid penalties. On lap 2 of the race, Latifi spun and tagged
Valtteri Bottas Valtteri Viktor Bottas (; born 28 August 1989) is a Finnish racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Alfa Romeo, having previously driven for Mercedes from to and Williams from to . Bottas has scored race wins and podiums. H ...
which knocked the
Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." "A ...
driver out of the race. Latifi pitted for repairs and finished the race a lap down, in 18th place. Soon after that, before the , he revealed the criteria to secure his seat for the 2023 F1 season, which was to "deliver illiamssome consistent performances." At the
Italian Grand Prix The Italian Grand Prix ( it, Gran Premio d'Italia) is the fifth oldest national Grand Prix (after the French Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix and the Russian Grand Prix), having been held since 1921. In 2013 it ...
, teammate Albon was forced to withdraw from the weekend following FP2 due to
appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a r ...
. This meant that Latifi's teammate for the qualifying session and Grand Prix was Nyck de Vries, who beat him to the F2 title in
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
. De Vries reached Q2 in the qualifying session, whilst Latifi didn't get out of Q1, missing a chicane on his final run. In the race, De Vries scored points, finishing ninth, whilst Latifi finished 15th. This meant that De Vries went ahead of Latifi in the Drivers' Championship. At the
Singapore Grand Prix The Singapore Grand Prix; ta, சிங்கப்பூர் கிராண்ட் பிரிக்ஸ் is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship. The event takes place on the Marina Bay Street Cir ...
, Latifi started last and his race ended on lap 7 when he collided with Zhou Guanyu, which caused a puncture for Latifi and ultimately his retirement from the race. Additionally, Latifi was given a five-place grid drop for next race at the . Having qualified last in Japan, Latifi pitted for intermediate tyres at the end of a safety car restart, and narrowly beat
Sebastian Vettel Sebastian Vettel (; born 3 July 1987) is a German racing driver who competed in Formula One from 2007 to 2022 for BMW Sauber, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. Vettel is one of the most successful drivers in Formula One histo ...
in the pit stops. It would be the right gamble, exiting in eighth. He held off Lando Norris to claim ninth place, and his first points of the season whilst describing it as a "nice reward". His result lifted him from 21st to 20th in the drivers' championship. Latifi finished last at the , as an early spin saw him ruin his pit strategy and was also compounded with a five-second penalty for forcing Mick Schumacher off track. Latifi left Williams at the end of the 2022 season after spending three seasons with the team.


Karting record


Karting career summary


Racing record


Racing career summary


Complete Italian Formula Three Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)


Complete Toyota Racing Series results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)


Complete FIA Formula 3 European Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.


Complete Macau Grand Prix results


Complete Formula Renault 3.5 Series results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)


Complete GP2 Series results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)


Complete FIA Formula 2 Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)


Complete Formula One results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) ** Latifi was entered as third driver, but this was reversed ahead of the session.
Did not finish the Grand Prix but was classified, as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.
Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed.


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Latifi, Nicholas 1995 births Living people Sportspeople from Montreal Anglophone Quebec people Racing drivers from Quebec Canadian people of Iranian descent Sportspeople of Iranian descent Italian Formula Three Championship drivers Toyota Racing Series drivers British Formula Three Championship drivers FIA Formula 3 European Championship drivers World Series Formula V8 3.5 drivers GP2 Series drivers FIA Formula 2 Championship drivers Porsche Carrera Cup GB drivers Canadian Formula One drivers Williams Formula One drivers BVM Target drivers Carlin racing drivers Prema Powerteam drivers Tech 1 Racing drivers Hilmer Motorsport drivers Arden International drivers MP Motorsport drivers DAMS drivers JD Motorsport drivers