Ralf Schumacher feels that poor performances may cost Nicholas Latifi his Williams seat, with Oscar Piastri lined up as a replacement.
Latifi’s F1 career hasn’t really taken off since his debut in the sport in 2020. Over the course of the last two years, he’s earned just seven points as spent the majority of that time in the shadows of then teammate George Russell.
Even in the recent past, he’s been in the news for his incidents on track rather than racing. At the 2021 season finale, it was his error that kickstarted a controversy on the other side of the gird. 2022 hasn’t fared better for the Canadian either, with multiple on track mistakes and incidents plaguing his performances.
Former Williams driver Ralf Schumacher feels that Latifi may be dropped by the team due to his poor results. The British team are owned by US Investment group Dorilton Capital. These investors prefer a driver who can be more consistent and bring in better results.
Schumacher also stated that Piastri is being eyed as a potential replacement. The 2021 F2 Champion is currently spending the season as Alpine’s reserve driver.
Difference between Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi is too big, says Schumacher
Albon joined Williams in 2022, after spending a year as Red Bull’s developmental driver. However, his return has been emphatic so far, with him earning a point from last place in Australia.
His performances have been a lot better than Latifi’s who is really struggling to get to grip with his car. The gap between them is too big for Williams to ignore, according to Schumacher.
“The Williams investors want two strong drivers in the car,” the German said. “Albon is doing a great job and the difference to Latifi is very, very big. So if it is up to the investors of the British team, there will be a driver change this season.”
“There are a lot of exciting things happening in Formula 1 right now. And one of them could be a driver change this year. Piastri would be a perfect choice. If he doesn’t deserve the seat, who does?”
Latifi is 21st in the Standings right now, even behind Aston Martin’s reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg. The latter filled in for Sebastian Vettel in the first two races of the season.
