Ex-Williams F1 driver Latifi calls time on racing to pursue business career – RaceFans

Former Components 1 driver Nicholas Latifi has introduced his retirement from racing on the age of 28.

Latifi, who raced for Williams from 2020 to 2022, revealed he’s learning for an “MBA” – generally a ‘Grasp of Enterprise Administration’ diploma.

Over three seasons in F1 Latifi scored factors thrice and peaked with seventh place within the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix. His highest qualifying place was tenth, achieved thrice.

Latifi mentioned he dismissed ideas of racing elsewhere this yr after dropping his seat to Logan Sargeant and determined to vary careers as an alternative.

“I made a decision very early on within the yr that I wouldn’t have any racing plans for 2023,” Latifi defined on social media. “It positively felt very unusual not having the identical routine I’d been in for over half my life. Understanding that I wouldn’t be behind the wheel of a race automobile this yr, I had clearly begun to consider what might be subsequent for me, whether or not that concerned racing or one thing utterly completely different.

“I made a decision that for the instant future, I wished to take a while and pursue a special avenue and deal with one other path.

“Rising up, I at all times had a eager curiosity on this planet of enterprise, and I at all times mentioned it was one thing I’d’ve studied at college had I not gone the racing route. With that in thoughts, and figuring out I may be taking a break from racing, I made a decision that I wish to pursue an MBA diploma and deal with one thing that will remodel the following section of my life.”

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Latifi mentioned he had lengthy thought-about taking his profession in a special route. His father Michael is a profitable businessman who bought a stake in McLaren five years ago.

“An MBA was at all times one thing that I had contemplated doing post-racing life, even when that had been into my late 30s and early 40s,” mentioned Latifi.

“Making the choice early on within the yr that an MBA was what I wished to pursue, I started devoting my time to researching enterprise colleges and seeing which of them could be a superb match, making ready an utility for them, and learning for the GMAT (a take a look at required by most enterprise colleges to associate with your utility). This was not a simple course of and took many months. Anybody who has skilled the journey of making use of to a enterprise faculty is aware of how troublesome it may be.

“After a five-month journey from beginning the method, I’m happy to say that my candidacy was accepted for a spot within the MBA program at London Enterprise Faculty (LBS), which I will probably be beginning in August of this yr.”

He acknowledged his determination “could appear stunning to lots of people”, having spent his youth working up the junior formulae to realize a spot in F1. “Transitioning to a special racing class might need appeared the obvious transfer,” mentioned Latifi.

“Nonetheless, I knew there would at all times be a life post-racing sooner or later, and I made a decision that now may be a superb time to organize myself for that. This isn’t essentially a goodbye to the racing world endlessly. Racing has been my life because the age of 13 and continues to be one thing I’m extraordinarily obsessed with. I haven’t missed watching an F1 race but this season. Nonetheless, I felt like this yr was the proper time to discover and pursue different avenues in my life.

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“I’m very a lot wanting ahead to this subsequent journey and wish to thank everybody who has supported me all through my profession to date. I hope I can proceed to have your assist as I take a while to pursue a special path.”

Initially of his automobile racing profession, Latifi gained within the Italian Components 3 championship after which stepped all the way down to Components Abarth to race within the Florida Winter Collection. He gained 4 occasions towards two of his future F1 rivals, however as soon as he returned to F3 he struggled to impress and it took over three years earlier than he turned a victor once more, doing so in Components 2.

Latifi spent 5 years in F1’s main feeder sequence, culminating in a 2019 season wherein he gained three of the primary 5 races and was runner-up to Nyck de Vries within the championship. Following that Latifi turned a take a look at driver for the Renault and Drive India F1 groups. He joined Williams in 2019 and was promoted as much as a race seat with them the yr after.

In 2021 he revealed he had been targeted by abuse and received death threats on social media after he crashed out of the season finale at Yas Marina, prompting the Security Automobile interval which swung the result of that yr’s world championship.

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