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Introducing Nicholas Latifi
17 year-old Nicholas Latifi is one of the newer names on the entry list for the reinvigorated FIA Formula 3 European Championship this year. The Canadian racer is building on one year’s experience in the Italian Formula 3 Championship, in just his second season in car racing. Here, Latifi talks about the pressures of joining a new championship, a new team and moving to a new country….
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The 2013 season will be only your second in cars, what racing have you done previously?
I started racing karts in 2009 and did that for four years, including last year when I did a full season of karting and Formula 3 in Italy – which made for a pretty busy season. In Canada I was racing in Rotax and qualified for the Rotax World Finals for the last three years, but I was also karting in Europe before making the big step from karting straight to Formula 3.
How important do you think karting has been in shaping you as a driver?
The biggest thing you learn in karting is race craft, because no matter how much testing you do and how fast you think you are, if you’re just running round a track on your own you’re not learning how to race. That really separates some drivers from others.
It’s a pretty big step to go from karting straight to Formula 3, was it difficult?
I had done a couple of days testing in some lower formula categories before F3, but nothing consistent. The biggest thing that karting helped me with was the common racing stuff like racing lines, but for sure the biggest challenge was the increased aerodynamics and grip – the increase in power wasn’t so much of an issue.
To help you prepare for this season’s Formula 3 European Championship you competed in the Toyota Series in New Zealand. How helpful was that?
For me it was really about getting more seat time. The traditional ‘off season’ would normally just be spent doing training so it was good to squeeze in some additional track time. I think about eight of the drivers who are in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship were in New Zealand, so it’s clearly a useful tool. It’s just about keeping your skills sharp and in my case I was able to build a relationship with my Carlin engineer who was with me for the first three rounds. It was just nice to get some more car racing under my belt.
At 17, you’re still pretty young to be racing in Formula 3. Do you see that as a hindrance or an advantage?
I see it as an advantage to be honest. This will be my second season in Formula 3, but it’s also my second year in car racing. I’m pretty sure that there will be some drivers in the championship this year who are in their first year of F3, but they might have much more experience in cars than me. But in my opinion I’m in the best place to learn at this stage in my career. I’m not expecting to finish at the top; there’s not a lot of pressure, I just have to be realistic in my goals as most of the guys I’m going to be racing against are more experienced.
What keeps you busy when you’re out of the car?
Two things really, the first is physical training which is a really big part of preparations when you’re out of the car. The second thing is high school! I’ve been doing my schooling online since the beginning of 2012 when I began to spend more time in Europe, so I still have to finish that.
If I get the chance to go home to Canada then I spend as much time as possible with friends and family, it’s hard to have a social life when you’re travelling a lot so I like to make the most of my time at home. I also used to play a lot of basketball before racing, but as I got more into karting, and last year into F3, that has obviously diminished and I had to make a decision about which area I was going to focus on. Racing won!
How hard has it been getting used to a new team as well as a new championship, car package and country?
From the aspect of the team, I did four days testing with Carlin in December last year so I got to know quite a few people then and really enjoyed the experience. There was a different dynamic in the team to what I’d be used to before. It’s a really nice environment to work in – everything is really organised and professional, I’m just looking forward to getting into the race weekend now.
With regards to the living part, for this trip in Europe it doesn’t really feel different to what I’ve been doing before; travelling around a lot and basing myself out of a hotel. I still don’t have a permanent base, but I think after this trip I’ll look at getting an apartment or something, but it’s pretty difficult when you’re still under 18!
If you weren’t a racing driver what would you be doing?
Right now I’d still be at school; I’d be graduating and once I’d graduated I’d go to university. Before I’d really made the decision to leave school and focus on the racing, I was doing all business courses, so I think I would have gone down the route of studying business and working with my dad.
What do your friends and family think about you travelling across the world as a racing driver?
Some friends from school think it’s pretty cool, others don’t find it that interesting to be honest! My friends in karting are really excited for me; there’s a big racing community in North America and only a small percentage of drivers come over to Europe.
My family are really supportive although it’s a big step and my parents were a bit hesitant that I would be based here essentially by myself at 17. But they come to all the races they can.
Do you have a motorsport hero that you look up to?
I wouldn’t say that I have just one particular idol. There are several drivers that I obviously admire and they have certain traits about them that I like. For example I’d say that in 2012 it was clear that Fernando Alonso didn’t have the most competitive car but somehow he always ended up on the podium; he’s a very persistent driver and never gives up and he’s clearly able to motivate a team. There are things I also like about Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button – like their ability to drive in changing conditions and find an edge in the rain. But I wouldn’t say there’s just one driver I idolise. They’ve all made it the top level, so there’s reason to admire them all!
PaddockTalk Perspective
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