"You shouldn’t pay attention to everything that is written about me" - Nicholas Latifi rebuffs claims of Williams exit

Nicholas Latifi has had a poor start to his 2022 F1 season. The Canadian driver has been overshadowed yet again at Williams but this time around, it's not by the prodigiously talented George Russell, but rather by the former Red Bull driver Alex Albon. So much so that there are rumors doing rounds across the paddock of Oscar Piastri being primed as the perfect replacement for the Canadian.

When questioned on these rumors by Le Journal de Montreal, Nicholas Latifi shrugged them off and said:

“You shouldn’t pay attention to everything that is written about me. And I’m not the only one to be treated the same way. But I realize my results are not satisfactory. I have to do more. It’s a question of confidence. I’m convinced I can drive as fast as Alex [Albon], who had a shorter learning curve with the new car.”

Williams boss Jost Capito also jumped to the defense of his driver by saying that the Canadian was suffering from a lack of confidence. Capito felt that once Latifi wraps his head around the regulations, he will be able to get back on track. The 63-year-old team boss said:

“I think it’s a heads game, isn’t it? He’s capable to drive very fast and do the same lap times as Alex if he is in the right place, I’m sure. The cars are a bit more difficult and trickier to drive than last year’s car and he has to get his head around it and he gets the full support from the team. And no, of course, if you have a couple of offs that makes…you have to fight again the confidence then, but he will get the full support of the team and we are sure he will get there.”

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Nicholas Latifi's start in the 2022 F1 season opens the door for Oscar Piastri

Nicholas Latifi's poor start to the season as compared to his teammate Alex Albon has surely opened the doors for Oscar Piastri's possible move to Williams. The Alpine reserve driver has had a stellar junior career with four consecutive championship wins in as many years.

While Nicholas Latifi, who does bring a sizeable chunk of cash to the team, is on shaky ground at the moment, the Australian is tipped to be the next superstar. Latifi hasn't even lapped in the same ballpark as Albon this season, and that has made him the biggest target for criticism.