18 July 2023 , 18:13
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Former F1 and Williams driver Nicholas Latifi has broken his silence after losing his seat in F1, announcing a surprise short-term career change.
The Canadian, 28, was behind the wheel of a Williams F1 car 61 times but registered just nine championship points, with his best finish being seventh at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix. Latifi left Williams following the conclusion of the 2022 season and was replaced by F2 prospect and American, Logan Sargeant.
However, Sargeant's luck in F1 hasn't been any better than Latifi's, with the rookie yet to register a championship point, with teammate Alexander Albon leading the charge for Williams.
Latifi has kept a low profile since his Formula One exit, last posting on his Twitter account in December when he reflected on his adventure with Williams. However, he has now returned to social media to reveal his short-term ambitions as he goes back to school to study for an MBA at London Business School.
"I decided very early on in the year that I wouldn't have any racing plans for 2023," he wrote in a statement on social media. "It definitely felt very strange not having the same routine I'd been in for over half my life.
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"Knowing that I wouldn't be behind the wheel of a race car this year, I had obviously begun to think of what could be next for me, whether that involved racing or something completely different. I decided that for the immediate future, I wanted to take some time and pursue a different avenue and focus on another path.
"Growing up, I always had a keen interest in the world of business, and I always said it was something I would've studied at university had I not gone the racing route. With that in mind, and knowing I might be taking a break from racing, I decided that I want to pursue an MBA degree and focus on something that would transform the next phase of my life. An MBA was always something that I had contemplated doing post-racing life, even if that had been into my late 30s and early 40s."
Nicholas Latifi recorded just nine championship points in a Williams car (Getty)Latifi continued: "This was not an easy process and took many months! Anyone who has experienced the journey of applying to a business school knows how difficult it can be. After a five-month journey from starting the process, I am pleased to say that my candidacy was accepted for a place in the MBA program at London Business School (LBS), which I will be starting in August of this year.
"This decision may seem surprising to a lot of people. Transitioning to a different racing category might have seemed the most obvious move. However, I knew there would always be a life post-racing at some point, and I decided that now might be a good time to prepare myself for that."
Business-keen Latifi concluded by declaring that his latest career decision isn't necessarily a goodbye from motorsport. Latifi began racing at 13 and declared that he is still extremely passionate about the sport, with the ex-F1 driver yet to miss watching a race this season.