Canadian Nicholas Latifi has said he is leaving Formula 1 with “unfinished business”, but accepts that is how the category works.

Latifi spent his three years in F1 with Williams, but during that time he only scored points three times, spending most of his time in the category, always at the back of the grid.

After a particularly bad season in 2022, seemingly worse than previous years, it came as no surprise when it was announced by Williams in September that Latifi would be dropped from the team, with rookie Logan Sargeant later named as his replacement for 2023.

After finishing second in the Formula 2 championship in 2019, behind Nyck de Vries, and having won four victories in the junior category, Latifi had hoped for more from his F1 career, which he now admits was probably over.

“I am very grateful for the three years I spent with Williams in Formula 1,” Latifi told reporters after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “I leave the series feeling like I wanted to achieve and achieve more, but it doesn’t always work that way in motorsport. Along the way there have been ups and downs with many connections and friendships. solids that I will cherish,” he added.

Unfortunately, Latifi failed to complete his final F1 race at Yas Marina, as he was hit from behind by Haas’ Mick Schumacher (another dropped by his team) on lap 39, and had to retire shortly. after.

“The incident with Mick really let us down and then we had an electrical problem which forced us to retire,” Latifi said. “It’s not how I wanted to end my last GP, but it’s how it is,” said the Canadian.

Jost Capito, Williams CEO and Team Principal, paid tribute to Latifi on the driver’s departure: “I would like to say a huge thank you to Nicholas for his three years racing with the team. He is a A much loved member of the team and will always be part of the Williams family, we wish him the best of luck in his future.

As Latifi himself admitted, his Formula 1 career is probably over. What he will do in the future has not yet been defined by the Canadian driver, but it is not impossible that he will race in another category.