Latifi has confirmed however that this might not be a permanent departure from racing, saying also that “this is not necessarily a goodbye to the racing world forever”.
“Racing has been my life since the age of 13 and is still something I am extremely passionate about. I haven’t missed watching an F1 race yet this season! However, I felt like this year was the right time to explore and pursue other avenues in my life.”
He's not the first F1 driver to take a turn away from driving following departure from the sport. Just this past weekend at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, Lanzante debuted a Porsche 930 TAG Turbo featuring the engine from Stefan Johansson's F1 car. It also featured an art paint scheme, as made by Stefan himself, given his post-F1 career choice was to be an artist.
Obviously, we know and love the likes of Martin Brindle, Jonny Herbert and David Coulthard in regular presenter roles din F1. Jenson Button meanwhile has fingers in multiple pies, from being a representative of Lotus to having a hand in the Radford coachbuilt sportscar project. Niki Lauda meanwhile, famously started an airline.
So the possibilities are endless. Latifi might not have been a dab hand behind the wheel, but we'll be curious to see if any innate skill shows itself elsewhere, in business, in the future. Latifi F1 team for a 2030 debut, anyone?
Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.