Nicholas Latifi has pulled off a resounding surprise in Hungary. The Williams Canadian scored his first points and they were also immediately the first points for Williams in two years. The seats for 2022 are still undecided at the back of the grid for now and Latifi therefore expects the points finish to help in the decision.
“The start itself wasn’t even very good, but I just managed to stay out of the scramble. That’s the only advantage of starting from the back because you can always see what’s happening in front of you and I could take advantage of that now,” Latifi explained in conversation with Motorsport-Total.
Latifi then formed a long train behind him, as overtaking is difficult in Hungary and the speed in the Williams was somewhat lacking anyway. “It felt like a lonely race. The cars in front of me were obviously driving away from me and I was taking good care of the gap with Yuki. I knew there was probably a big train behind me, but all I could see was Yuki and a Ferrari.”
In the coming months, Williams will have to make a decision on their 2022 lineup and the team has already indicated that they no longer need ‘pay-drivers’ to remain financially sound. Bad news for Latifi, who brings a lot of money with him to drive in Formula One.
At the same time, several talented young drivers seem to be knocking on Williams’ door, such as Nyck de Vries who could win the Formula E title this weekend. “My goal is to stay with this team. I am not sure of anything at the moment and a result like this can only help”, Latifi concluded.
