Former F1 world champion Damon Hill is not sympathetic to Nicholas Latifi’s performance at the Italian Grand Prix.
Nicolas Latifi welcomed Nick de Vries as his new teammate at the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix following Alex Albon collapsed with appendicitis on Saturday morning. This meant that the 2021 Formula E champion had just one hour of practice to get used to the car and its quirks at the Monza circuit before hitting the track for qualifying.
Nick de Vries nevertheless overtook Nicolas Latifi to advance to Q2 in his first F1 qualifying session. Latifi was unable to get past Q1.
Both drivers moved up on the grid as a result of rival drivers’ engine penalties. Dec de Vries started from 8th on the grid and Nicolas Latis from 10th on the grid.
While Nicholas Latifi held his position at the start, Nicholas Latifi quickly lost position and continued to drop positions.
Nick de Vries finished ninth, becoming the 67th driver to score in his F1 debut, while Nicolas Latifi finished a lapped 15th.
The result meant that, at the age of 27, Nick de Vries surpassed Nicolas Latifi in the drivers’ standings in a one-off appearance. Latifi has yet to score a single point this season.
Damon Hill says Nicholas Latifi doesn’t deserve to keep Williams’ F1 seat at the 2023 F1 World Championship.
“I’m sorry, but this is how it is,” the 1996 F1 world champion told Sky Sports.
“In this case Nicholas does not have the pace required to maintain that position in F1.”
“He had some good moments, but a guy who had never driven a Grand Prix before came in and he did a great job.”
As for Nick de Vries, the reserve driver for the Mercedes F1 team, he is expected to replace Nicholas Latifi on the grid in 2023.
Damon Hill says having the entire F1 paddock talking regarding Nick de Gries is a good start.
“I know he was given grid penalties and things like that, which brought him up on the grid, but he still performed well in qualifying and didn’t really make any mistakes,” said Damon. Hill said.
“He’s done enough for us to talk regarding him and he has Toto[Wolf]talking regarding himself, which is what it takes to be a Formula 1 driver.”
Two points for Nick de Vries added, bringing Williams’ points tally to six in 2023, but the team remain pegged at the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship.
Category: F1 / Nicholas Latifi / Williams
