Latifi to leave Williams F1 Team in 2022

Nicolas Latifi will leave the Williams F1 team at the end of the 2022 season, ending his current contract.

His replacement will be announced at a later date, the team announced on Friday.

Teammate Alex Albon signed a contract extension in August and will remain with the team beyond 2023.

Williams was the team where Latifi made his F1 debut in 2020, but he failed to make a big impression in the following years, scoring just seven points in 55 starts.

This was all the more evident at the Italian Grand Prix in early September, when Williams reserve driver Nick de Vries scored two points in his first race as a substitute for the unwell Albon. Latifi is still on zero points after most of the season.

This impressive performance makes de Vries a strong contender for Latifi's seat, but Williams has other options. These include American driver Logan Sargent, a member of the Williams Driver Academy and currently competing in Formula 2. There is also Daniel Ricciardo, who will leave McLaren at the end of 2022 and has yet to sign with another team. Oscar Piatri will fill Ricciardo's seat at McLaren.

Alpine has yet to find a replacement for Fernando Alonso, who will move to Aston Martin next season to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel. Meanwhile, Alfa Tauri announced on Thursday that current driver Yuki Tsunoda will remain with the team in 2023. Pierre Gasly will also remain at Alfatauri for the new season.