Ex-Formula 1 racer Nicholas Latifi has revealed that he is studying for an MBA in London after opting to place his racing career on hiatus.
Latifi competed for Williams between 2020 and 2022, taking a best race result of seventh, but was replaced for 2023 by rookie Logan Sargeant.
Latifi did not pursue any potential avenues in other motorsport categories and has kept a quiet profile since his final race last November.
On Tuesday he provided an update, revealing that he has been accepted into the prestigious London Business School, and will begin the course next month.
“I decided very early on in the year that I wouldn’t have any racing plans for 2023,” he wrote on his social media accounts. “It definitely felt very strange not having the same routine I’d been in for over half my life.
“Knowing that I wouldn’t be behind the wheel of a race car this year, I had obviously begun to think of what could be next for me, whether that involved racing or something completely different.
“Growing up I always had a keen interest in the world of business, and I always said it was something I would have studied at university had I not gone the racing route.
“An MBA was always something that I had contemplated doing post-racing life, even if that had been into my late 30s and early 40s.
“I began devoting my time to researching business schools and seeing which ones would be a good ft, preparing an application for them, and studying for the GMAT – a test required by most business schools to go along with your application.
“This was not an easy process and took many months! Anyone who has experienced the journey of applying to a business school knows how difficult it can be.”
Latifi, who has been based in London for several years, added that he still sees a future in the racing world once he has completed his MBA.
“This decision may seem surprising to a lot of people,” he continued. “Transitioning to a different racing category might have seemed the most obvious move.
“However, I knew there would always be a life post-racing at some point, and I decided that now might be a good time to prepare myself for 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.”
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