Nicholas Latifi to leave Williams at end of 2022

Williams has confirmed Nicholas Latifi will leave the team at the end of the current Formula One season, the team confirmed on Friday.

The Canadian driver has looked unlikely to remain with the team for several months.

Dutch driver Nyck de Vries, who stood in for Latifi’s unwell teammate Alex Albon at the Italian Grand Prix and scored points on his debut, is a strong candidate to for the seat, although Alpine and AlphaTauri are also interested in his services for 2023.

American driver Logan Sargeant, a race winner in Formula 2 this season and part of the Williams academy, is known to be a popular candidate within the team.

Sargeant will take part in Friday practice for Williams ahead of the U.S. Grand Prix next month.

Latifi has raced for Williams since 2020, with his sponsors bringing significant money to the team, and has scored seven championship points in that time.

Latifi said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Williams Racing – all the people back at the factory and those I work with trackside – for the last three years. My initial F1 debut was postponed due to the pandemic but we eventually got going in Austria and, although we have not achieved the results together we hoped we would, it’s still been a fantastic journey.

“Getting those first points in Hungary last year was a moment I’ll never forget, and I will move onto the next chapter of my career with special memories of my time with this dedicated team. I know none of us will stop putting in every effort until the end of the season.”

Williams boss Jost Captio said: “On behalf of the whole team, I would like to say an enormous thank you to Nicholas for his three years of hard work with Williams. He is a great team player who has a great attitude towards his colleagues and work and is well liked and respected throughout the business.

“Our time together is now coming to an end, but I know he will put full effort in to maximise what we can do together for the remainder of this season. We wish him all the very best of luck for his future, both in and out of the cockpit.”