Nicholas Latifi says his later start in motorsport explains why he arrives in Formula 1 older than many recent rookies.
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The 24-year-old was confirmed today as Williams’ driver for the 2020 F1 season. He is older than the three rookies who entered F1 this year: Lando Norris (19), George Russell (21) and Alexander Albon (22).
“If I had entered Formula 1 two or three years ago I wouldn’t have felt as ready or as prepared as I do now,” Latifi explained. He highlighted that he only began karting as a teenager, significantly later than most current F1 drivers.
“Many people don’t realise I started racing relatively late in karting. In terms of my motorsport age, I only began racing cars at 13 years old.
“If you compare that to extremes like Max Verstappen or Esteban Ocon, they were both in karts at four years old.
“So when you look at the span from when I started to when I’m in F1, it’s about 12 years. That’s similar to someone like Max, who was 17 when he reached F1, roughly 13 years after he first started driving. For many established drivers the timeline lines up similarly.
“Compared with more recent rookies I am definitely older, but when you consider my level of motorsport experience, I think the timing is right. I feel prepared — the most ready I’ve ever been — and ready to step up.”
Latifi said he was surprised when he learned he had secured the Williams seat for next year. “My reaction wasn’t very expressive outwardly, but inside I was really surprised,” he said.
“For me it was a dream come true. I’ve been racing for almost half my life and have worked toward this for a long time. Now that it’s real, it feels a bit surreal.
“Each milestone — being told it would happen, the announcements, signing the contract — has been a step-by-step build. Honestly, I think it won’t feel completely real until Melbourne, when the lights go out on the grid. That will be the final tick: ‘now it’s happened, now it’s done’.”
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