F1: Former Williams Driver Nicolas Latifi Pauses Racing Career to Pursue MBA Degree

Nicolas Latifi - F1 Grand Prix of Japan - Previews
(Photo : Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) SUZUKA, JAPAN - Nicholas Latifi of Canada and Williams attends the Drivers Press Conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka International Racing Course on October 06, 2022 in Suzuka, Japan.

Former Williams driver Nicolas Latifi will take a break from motorsports to pursue a new path away from racing.

The 28-year-old will be taking up an MBA program at the London Business School, and he will be starting in August, according to a statement on his social media accounts.

The Canadian decided at the beginning of the year that he would not have any racing plans for 2023, and he noted the challenge of changing his daily routine after spending the past couple of years as a Formula 1 driver.

He spent a five-month journey from application to admission, taking up the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) as part of the requirements.

Latifi spent three seasons in Formula 1, driving for Williams Racing from 2020 to 2022. He started in 61 races and had his highest finish at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix at P7.

Read more: Sebastian Vettel In Discussions For Possible F1 Role  

Nicolas Latifi indirectly decided the 2021 Drivers' Championship

Latifi inadvertently had a hand in deciding the highly intense championship battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton during the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Hamilton was cruising to his eighth world title by a wide margin with five laps to go. However, Latifi crashed out of the race in the 53rd lap, causing a safety car to be deployed.

The incident enabled Verstappen to pit for fresher soft tires and narrow the gap to Hamilton. The safety car went out in the final lap, allowing a last-lap shootout between the two. The Dutchman's fresher tires helped him overtake the Brit to win his maiden world title.

Latifi received death threats for his role in F1 history.

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