Nicholas Latifi has admitted he is unlikely to get the chance to racing Formula 1 again after dropping off the grid at the end of this season.
The Canadian made his F1 debut with Williams in the 2020 campaign, and has been racing for the team ever since. But during those three years he has struggled to make much of an impact, and sits rock bottom of the drivers' standings this season among the drivers with a permanent seat.
Williams confirmed in September that they will replace Latifi at the end of the year. Provided he gains enough points in time to secure his superlicence, Logan Sargeant is the man poised to make his F1 debut in 2023 as his replacement.
Latifi's future is currently up in the air. A move to IndyCar has been rumoured, though he recently moved to rubbish claims that he has already agreed a deal to join Chip Ganassi Racing for next year.
Speaking to F1's Beyond the Grid podcast, the 27-year-old shed more light on what his future might look like – and gave an honest appraisal of his chances of an F1 return in the future. "I think the only way I would consider a [reserve] driver role is if I saw a realistic way to return to the grid in Formula 1, which speaking honestly and bluntly, I don't see to be the case," he said.
"Obviously Alex [Albon] did that last year, so it shows it's possible. I think he was in a different situation with Red Bull. Me personally, just to be a reserve driver without any clear path of making a return, it's not something I would want to do, because being a reserve driver is not what I see as my long-term career.
"At the same time, if I can't find something that's suitable for me next year, whether that means taking a year off to potentially put together something better for the following year, all the options are still open."
Reacting to those comments on social media, many fans were left impressed by the Canadian's honesty, and saw it as an admission that he is not good enough to compete in F1. "Very insightful and mature reflections from Nicholas," wrote one fan, while a second concurred that Latifi had shown a "very mature mindset".
Another wrote: "He's actually an incredibly nice and down to earth bloke. He knows he wasn't good enough but is grateful." And a fourth added: "He's handled being humbled by [George Russell] and Albon very well. Not once did he come across as angry or bitter toward anyone yet constantly tried to improve and took responsibility for his poor performances. Hopefully he does well in other series."
