Nicholas Latifi has outlined that a 2020 Formula 1 race seat is his primary target if he can maintain his current form in Formula 2.
Latifi has surged clear of his opponents in this year’s Formula 2 standings, winning three races from the opening trio of rounds to secure a 26-point advantage over Luca Ghiotto.
The Canadian has also added to previous Formula 1 experience with Renault and Force India by taking up a reserve role at Williams, carrying out three days of running in the FW42 across the in-season tests in Bahrain and Spain.
“For sure the goal is to arrive in Formula 1,” Latifi confirmed. “First and foremost although I have the Formula 1 programme supporting my F2 this year that’s what it is – a support to the F2 programme.
“That’s my priority and the focus is for sure to continue the form and hopefully win the championship and if I do that I think it’ll put me in a good position to arrive in F1 next year which is the goal.
“I mean if you look at the past years in terms of everyone who’s won F2/GP2, I think [since] Fabio Leimer, everyone has gone into F1 so for sure it puts me in a good position should that happen.
“We’ve also seen in previous years with Pierre [Gasly] and Stoffel [Vandoorne] that they didn’t go straight away.
“For me if I do win the championship for sure the goal would be to go in straight away and not have to take a year out or a year in Japan like they did, but definitely winning F2 is going to be the best chance for that.”
Latifi’s next outing for Williams is set to come during practice for his home event in Canada next month, the first of six planned FP1 outings for 2019.
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