Williams announced on Friday morning that he would not be renewing driver Nicholas Latifi’s contract after three seasons. The Canadian will finish the 2022 season for the team, but will not stay for next year. His replacement has yet to be announced.
“On behalf of the whole team, I would like to say a huge thank you to Nicholas. He is a great teammate, he has a lot of respect for his colleagues and his work, and he is very well liked and respected throughout the company. He will do his best to maximize what we can do together for the rest of this season. We wish him well for his future,” said British team boss Jost Capito.
The driver made his Formula 1 debut in 2020, alongside George Russell, currently at Mercedes. In the current season, he didn’t matter much and ended up being overshadowed by his teammate, Alexander Albon. The Thai has even expanded his bond with the team recently.
“So I’m parting ways with Williams at the end of the year. I’m honored to have represented them for the past three years. A big thank you to the whole team – it’s been an amazing journey and I’ve enjoyed every second. Determined to end 2022 in a positive way. We have six races left!” Latifi wrote on his official Twitter account.
The good performance of the Dutchman Nyck de Vries also weighed against Latifi. A former rival of the Canadian in Formula 2, the driver replaced Albon at the Italian GP at Monza and crossed the finish line in ninth place on his F1 debut.
Formula 1 returns next week, October 2, with the Singapore GP. On the Marina Bay circuit, the Dutchman Max Verstappen will already be able to guarantee his second championship.
Check out the Formula 1 grid for 2023 so far:
red bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz
Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton and George Russel
McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Alpine: Esteban Ocon
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
AlphaTauri: Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly
Alfa Romeo: Valtteri Bottas
Haha: Kevin Magnussen
Williams: Alexander Albon
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