Ex-Williams F1 driver Latifi quits racing and announces career change

Latifi, who took part in 61 races for Williams between 2020-2022 and scored a best result of seventh place at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, revealed he has signed up for an MBA at London Business School.

The Canadian, who lost his Williams F1 seat to Logan Sargeant at the end of last season, has largely kept a low profile out of the spotlight since leaving the sport. 

"I decided very early on in the year that I wouldn't have any racing plans for 2023," he wrote. "It definitely felt very strange not having the same routine I'd been in for over half my life.

"Knowing that I wouldn't be behind the wheel of a race car this year, I had obviously begun to think of what could be next for me, whether that involved racing or something completely different.

"I decided that for the immediate future, I wanted to take some time and pursue a different avenue and focus on another path.

"Growing up, I always had a keen interest in the world of business, and I always said it was something I would've studied at university had I not gone the racing route.

"With that in mind, and knowing I might be taking a break from racing, I decided that I want to pursue an MBA degree and focus on something that would transform the next phase of my life. An MBA was always something that I had contemplated doing post-racing life, even if that had been into my late 30s and early 40s.

"This was not an easy process and took many months! Anyone who has experienced the journey of applying to a business school knows how difficult it can be. 

"After a five-month journey from starting the process, I am pleased to say that my candidacy was accepted for a place in the MBA program at London Business School (LBS), which I will be starting in August of this year."

He added: “This decision may seem surprising to a lot of people. Transitioning to a different racing category might have seemed the most obvious move.

“However, I knew there would always be a life post-racing at some point, and I decided that now might be a good time to prepare myself for that.” 

But Latifi has not completely ruled out a return to racing in the future. 

"This is not necessarily a goodbye to the racing world forever," he said. "Racing has been my life since the age of 13 and is still something I am extremely passionate about.

"I haven't missed watching an F1 race yet this season! However, I felt like this year was the right time to explore and pursue other avenues in my life.

"I'm very much looking forward to this next adventure and want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career thus far. I hope I can continue to have your support as I take some time to pursue a different path.”

Latifi’s crash in the closing stages of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix brought out the Safety Car which ultimately cost Lewis Hamilton the chance to win a record-breaking eighth world championship. 

Last year, Latifi revealed he had hired personal bodyguards on a trip to London after receiving death threats in the wake of his Abu Dhabi crash.