Nicholas Latifi will remain with Williams for the remainder of the 2022 Formula 1 season, according to the team.
Rumors have been going round that Williams has been seeking a replacement for Latifi mid season. The Canadian has had a difficult start to the season, with multiple collisions along with Haas’ Mick Schumacher,
Latifi has not finished higher than 14th in any of the last three races, while new colleague Alex Albon has collected points twice in the last three races and came close to finishing 11th in Imola.
This disparity has sparked suspicion over Latifi’s future, with some questioning if he will even finish the year at Williams. However, team boss Jost Capito defended his driver by citing a superior race in Miami.
“We have contracts with both drivers and we respect them,” he told Germany’s SPORT1 magazine AvD Motor & Sport.
“Latifi was only slightly slower than Albon on Saturday. He needs a bit more time to get used to the new car, but he has our full support and for us, there is no question at the moment of changing anything about our driver pairing during the season.”
On Monday, Williams announced that Mercedes reserve and Formula E world champion Nyck De Vries will drive in Practice 1 at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix for the team.
Despite the fact that it is one of two mandated young driver outings each team must complete this season, De Vries will take the place of Albon for the session, resulting in a direct comparison between De Vries and Latifi.
Alpine reserve Oscar Piastri has also been mentioned, with the current F2 champion aiming to make his F1 debut in 2023.
