Nicholas Latifi, Force India, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, 2018

Latifi to make six practice outings as Williams reserve driver in 2019

2019 F1 season

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Nicholas Latifi has joined Williams as its new reserve driver for the 2019 F1 season.

The 23-year-old will make six appearances in practice sessions next year, the team has confirmed. He will also drive for one day in the pre-season test and do two days of in-season testing and two days of testing for Pirelli.

Latifi was previously a test driver for Force India and drove for them five times in practice this year. He said the change of teams is “a fantastic opportunity to continue my F1 development and to build my on-track experience with more [first practice] sessions and the rookie and Pirelli tests.

“As well as this, a big part of my role will be simulator driving and helping to support the development of the new car.”

Latifi’s father Michael became a shareholder in McLaren Group this after investing over £200 million in the company. The payment was made through his company Nidala, named for Nicholas Daniel Latifi.

Williams was in need of a new reserve driver after promoting Robert Kubica to a race seat alongside George Russell for next year.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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7 comments on “Latifi to make six practice outings as Williams reserve driver in 2019”

  1. Don’t you just love these drivers whose fathers invest hundreds of millions in teams they don’t even end up driving for. Hedging your bets, that’s called…

    1. Litifi’s dad invested in McLaren Group rather than the team itself and made clear at the time that he made the investment because of McLaren’s potential as a business, rather than to further his son’s career.

  2. Williams showing no signs of being out of financial trouble. Firstly taking Kubica because he finally offered a lot more money than anyone else, now this. Latifi has a very average record and had a particularly disappointing season in F2.

    1. Kubica did not offer more money than anyone else, stop spreading that falsehood. Kubica offered the same as last year, being around 11milion, and he had to work hard for that sponsorship as polish companies traditionally don’t support race drivers. Williams chose him because they could afford him now because the Stroll’s had to buy out their contract, so didn’t need sirotkin and other Russians with more money this year.

      1. Because SMP reduced their funding and Kubica’s backers increased theirs Kubica does now indeed bring much more funding. That’s a fact. By the way, do you ever make any posts that aren’t criticising Stroll and Sirotkin/bigging up Kubica?

      2. “… stop spreading that falsehood.”
        Why are you so officious…? It’s not exactly a ‘quality’ in anyone’s personality, but especially not in online comments sections…
        Please give it a rest…

        [In case you’re not sure, ‘officious’ means: self-assertive, overbearing,, dictatorial, bossy, domineering, opinionated…]

  3. So lemme’get this straight!?

    Dad’s company Sofina sponsors Racing Point (Force India)
    Dad (Nidala) invests in McLaren Group
    Son tests now for Williams

    These North-Americans have deep pockets indeed… only for Santino Ferruci to leave for IndyCar.

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