Former F1 driver Nicholas Latifi has ended his two-year hiatus since retiring from motorsport with a major update about his new career.
The 30-year-old Canadian has announced that he will change careers and step away from motorsport in mid-2023 to study for a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at London Business School.
Latifi admitted that he graduated from business school.
“It’s been quite a while since I last posted,” Latifi wrote in a social media post.
“I wanted to fully focus on my MBA at London Business School and really enjoy the experience without any distractions, and I am delighted to share that I graduated a few months ago.
“Having not completed my undergraduate degree, I had no idea what to expect, and I will admit that I was a little nervous at first. However, I quickly discovered how warm and welcoming the LBS community was and formed friendships that will last a lifetime.
“The last two years have been one of the most rewarding times of my life, filled with learning, growth, new experiences, and memories I’ll carry with me forever. I’m excited for what’s to come and more is coming soon.”
Nicholas Latifi has kept a low profile since leaving F1
Latifi has kept a low profile since leaving F1 at the end of the 2022 season.
Latifi’s F1 career is best remembered for the careless role he played in deciding the outcome of the 2021 World Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The then-Williams driver crashed with five laps remaining in the season-ending race, bringing out the safety car and resulting in a highly controversial situation that ultimately saw Max Verstappen defeat Lewis Hamilton to win the world title.
Latifi revealed that he hired a bodyguard to protect himself after receiving death threats after the season ended.
“Back on race weekend, we saw how things would play out on social media as soon as the checkered flag dropped,” Latifi wrote in a December 2021 statement.
“The fact that I felt like deleting Instagram and Twitter on my phone for a few days says everything we need to know about how cruel the online world can be.
“The ensuing hate, abuse and threats on social media didn’t come as much of a surprise to me, as this is a harsh reality of the world we live in now. I’m used to being talked about negatively online. I think all athletes who compete on the world stage know they’re under extreme scrutiny, and it comes at times.”
“However, as we have seen time and time again in various sports, it only takes one incident at the wrong time to throw things completely out of proportion and bring out the worst in the so-called ‘fans’ of the sport. What shocked me was the extreme tone of the hate, abuse and even death threats I received.”
Latifi has scored nine points in his three seasons with Williams, with his best result being seventh at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.