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Nicholas Latifi has conceded that he is at risk of being dropped by Williams at the end of the 2022 season, following his poor performances with the team thus far.
The Canadian said that he was acutely aware of his situation in the team and hoped for things to turn around quickly. Speaking to RacingNews365 ahead of the 2022 Canadian GP, he said:
“I admit that, since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, I have not had a good feeling in the car. I definitely need to improve my performance. I would be lying if I told you that my place on the team is secure. I am aware that the situation must change.”
He added:
“[But I feel] no more [pressure] than all the other drivers on the grid whose contract expires at the end of the season.”
The Williams driver currently sits at the bottom of the Driver Standings, below even Nico Hulkenberg, who only competed in the opening two races for Aston Martin. Nicholas Latifi’s season so far has been marred by several high-profile and costly crashes while consistently being outpaced by new teammate Alex Albon.
The Canadian has struggled to get to terms with the new generation of cars and has been unable to extract competitive pace from his car throughout the season. Along with Haas’ Mick Schumacher, he holds the unenviable record of not having scored a single point this season.
In recent months, several reports have linked Alpine’s Oscar Piastri to Latifi’s seat for the 2023 season, further increasing the pressure for Latifi to perform.
Meanwhile, Albon’s impressive form hasn’t helped the 26-year-old driver's cause either. Latifi says he’s aware that he needs to step up his game and start matching Albon’s performance at the team sooner rather than later. He added:
“He has adapted faster than me to the new car and it's up to me to change things.”
Nicholas Latifi looking forward to racing in front of his home crowd at the 2022 F1 Canadian GP
Nicholas Latifi is excited for his first home race in Canada after Montreal returned to the F1 calendar after a three-year hiatus.
Despite the home support, Latifi said that he’s going to be treating the race weekend just like any other on the calendar. Speaking to the Montreal Gazette, he said:
“The last few years, it goes without saying that it’s been pretty frustrating and disappointing to have missed my home race.”
He went on to say:
“To have the opportunity to be here now, having that home support and have so many family and friends is just a very, very special feeling. But I’m just going to try and keep it business as usual once I get on track.”
It will be interesting to see whether Nicholas Latifi can turn his season around at his home race on June 19, 2022.
