In a season where Williams have earned, for the better part of the year, criticism and rightly so, for having effectively been the regular backmarkers, nothing could provide the much-needed respite other than a bright addition to their 2020 camp.
Where the next season stands, then the famous British constructor have confirmed young Nicholas Latifi in their driver line-up for the next, hopefully, more promising season.
Shortly after being announced as Williams’ driver for the upcoming grind next year, Canada’s Nicholas Latifi, formerly a reserve and development driver for Racing Point will finally get his much-awaited F1 drive, alongside a young and confidence-inspiring George Russell.
Together the Canadian and British duo, with an average age of a little over 22 years will hopefully carve a new niche for Williams who’ll target a revival after having been reduced to the rear-end of the grid for the entire season, with only 1 race to go on the roster.
Reflecting the obvious feeling, an ecstatic and keen Nicholas Latifi, curbed his emotional overdrive as he maintained, “two hungry young drivers will push the team forward.”
He also indicated about the optimism that stems from the common objective that the two young drivers share; in their attempts to push the team back to where it belongs, further up to the front of the grid, fighting for track positions.
A new arrival, one marked with hope
For a driver who’s worked for the massive break for almost half his life, it’s worthwhile to note that Nicholas Latifi arrives in the daunting and fast-paced world of F1 not before proving his mark in FIA Formula 2, where he bagged 6 wins and 19 podiums, where he raced for DAMS, the renowned racing team from France.
Although he was signed as a test driver by Renault back in 2016, he never really got a chance to hit the track even after moving to Racing Point (formerly, Force India), where he spent a fair amount of time as a reserve driver.
As Latifi joins George Russell, the man who’s regularly emerged as the faster of the two cars on the track, outscoring his teammate regularly during qualifying and on race-days, the Canadian is all set to replace the experienced Pole Robert Kubica, whose much-anticipated comeback to the highest annals of racing earned a less than memorable return thanks to a forgettable season.
Kubica, now about to contest in what might even be his last-ever F1 race since he’s failed to secure a racing seat among any of the ten cars for 2020, has moved to Racing Point, Latifi’s previous employer, in the role of a reserve driver.
What Nicholas Latifi means for the team?
Nicholas Latifi expressed his keenness to contribute to a racing team he hails for being among the “most popular” and “historic” in the annals of the sport, an outfit that has a history of having developed a lot many young drivers.
Although, the news surrounding Latifi joining the camp may seem a tad bit underwhelming only because of the nightmare run that the Frank Williams-outfit have endured, for the potential successes and the future of the side in motorsport racing, this seems a step in the right direction.
Even Claire Williams has offered hope, something that the team so desperately needs in her honest appraisal of Latifi, sharing the young Canadian will offer George Williams the much-needed support to contribute to the team, as the duo will hopefully battle to garner some points in the next Constructors Championship, something that the team so desperately needs in moving in the promising direction.