Latifi to make Williams practice debut on home turf

Lance Stroll won’t be the only Canadian F1 driver in action in Montreal this weekend. Compatriot Nicholas Latifi – Williams’ reserve – will get his first practice outing with the team in Friday’s opening session.

Latifi, who currently leads the Formula 2 driver standings, made five FP1 appearances with Force India/Racing Point in 2018, but his only Williams track time to date has been at this year’s Bahrain and Barcelona in-season tests.

“I’m really excited to take part in my first FP1 session with the team,” said the 23-year-old. “The fact that it’s at my home GP will definitely add an extra bit of excitement but nonetheless the goal still remains the same. I want to do a good job for the team and give them the feedback they need to guide them going into FP2.

“I feel really well prepared after the three days of in-season testing I have had, along with all the work I have conducted at the factory this year, I can’t wait to hit the track!”

The Toronto native will take over Robert Kubica’s car for his 90 minutes around the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, and – along with team mate George Russell – will be charged with race preparation work and testing new components on the FW42.

Latifi has won three of the eight 2019 F2 races to date, with victories in Bahrain, Azerbaijan and Spain.