Nicholas Latifi

Nicholas Latifi (29 June 1995 - Present): Canadian racing driver from Montreal, Quebec who competed in Formula One from 2020 to 2022, participating in 55 Grands Prix for Williams Racing and scoring nine championship points with a career-best seventh place finish at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, but perhaps best remembered for the safety car his crash triggered at the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that directly influenced the championship outcome between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Born into wealth as the son of Michael Latifi, CEO of Sofina Foods (one of Canada's largest food companies) with an estimated net worth exceeding $3 billion, Nicholas had the financial backing to pursue motorsport from an early age.

He began karting in 2006 and progressed through junior single-seaters including Italian F4, Formula Renault 2.0, and Formula 3 before joining the GP2/Formula 2 championship in 2016. Latifi competed in Formula 2 for four seasons from 2016 to 2019, achieving seven race victories but never mounting a sustained championship challenge, finishing as high as second in the 2019 championship behind Nyck de Vries. During this period he joined Williams as a test and reserve driver in 2019, bringing substantial financial backing through his father's companies and Canadian sponsorship.

When Robert Kubica departed Williams after 2019, Latifi was promoted to a race seat for 2020 alongside George Russell, making his Formula One debut at the delayed 2020 Austrian Grand Prix on 5 July 2020. His rookie season was challenging as the Williams FW43 was uncompetitive, and he was comprehensively outpaced by teammate Russell, failing to score any points in 17 races while Russell also failed to score, though Russell's performances in qualifying were significantly stronger. Latifi's best finish in 2020 was 11th place at the Eifel Grand Prix. The 2021 season brought modest improvement as Williams became slightly more competitive with the FW43B.

Latifi scored his first championship points with a ninth-place finish at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix on 1 August 2021, held in chaotic wet-dry conditions, and followed this with seventh place at the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix on 29 August 2021 (the race that lasted only two laps behind the safety car due to torrential rain, with half-points awarded). His four-point 2021 season still saw him comprehensively beaten by Russell who scored 16 points, maintaining a 13-3 qualifying advantage. Latifi's defining moment—and one he would prefer to forget—came at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 12 December 2021, the dramatic championship decider between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. With five laps remaining and Hamilton comfortably leading, Latifi crashed heavily at turn 14, bringing out the safety car.

The subsequent controversial decisions by race director Michael Masi regarding lapped cars and the restart allowed Verstappen on fresh tires to pass Hamilton on the final lap, winning the race and the championship in one of the most contentious finishes in Formula One history. While Latifi was simply a driver who made a mistake, he faced appalling online abuse and death threats from toxic Hamilton fans who blamed him for costing Hamilton the championship, forcing Williams to issue statements condemning the harassment. This incident highlighted the dark side of modern Formula One fandom and social media culture. For 2022, Latifi remained at Williams alongside rookie Alex Albon, but his performances deteriorated significantly.

The Williams FW44 showed improved pace, but Latifi crashed frequently and was comprehensively dominated by Albon, who scored four points while Latifi scored zero. Latifi achieved a best finish of only 12th place and suffered numerous incidents including significant crashes in Melbourne, Miami, and Japan. His qualifying record against Albon was a dismal 1-21, and he retired from seven races, several due to his own crashes. Williams announced in November 2022 that Latifi would be replaced by Logan Sargeant for 2023, ending his Formula One career.

Across three seasons, Latifi participated in 55 Grands Prix, scored nine points, achieved no podiums, and was outqualified 47-8 by his teammates (13-3 by Russell, 1-21 by Albon, plus various sprint qualifying sessions). Following his Formula One departure, Latifi competed in IndyCar, joining Andretti Autosport with Curb-Agajanian for several races in 2023, though his performances were unimpressive. He has since focused on simulator work and considering other racing opportunities outside of top-level single-seaters. Latifi's Formula One career is viewed as that of a pay driver who brought necessary funding to Williams during their financially desperate years but lacked the pace to be genuinely competitive at Formula One level, particularly when paired against strong teammates.

His family's financial backing was crucial to securing and retaining his seat despite underperformance. Known for being polite, well-spoken, and a genuinely nice person paddock-wide, Latifi nevertheless struggled with consistency, race pace, and particularly qualifying performance throughout his tenure, representing a clear example of how financial backing can secure Formula One opportunities even when raw talent may not justify the seat.