Latifi finally gets his homecoming, three years later, at Canadian Grand Prix

Most drivers on the Formula 1 grid don’t have to wait three years to finally partake in their home race, where thousands of passionate racing fans are eager to cheer them on.

And only one earned their first spot on the grid amidst a global pandemic that cancelled multiple races and placed the season on hold. 

For Canadian Nicholas Latifi, adapting to the unknown is all he has ever known in the world of Formula 1, having made his debut at the Austrian Grand Prix on July 5, 2020.

Now, Latifi returns to the city he was born in for the first time as a Williams Racing driver, eager to try and use the momentum of the home crowd to give him the motivation to perform and make them proud.

"It's a very, very special, special feeling for sure and kind of very surreal to finally have (it)," said Latifi. "When I joined the team as a racing driver in 2020 … it was obviously the race that I was most looking forward to, and then COVID happens and those next two years it was not in the calendar.

"We have a lot of fond memories here growing up for family events, like my kart racing here was between Ontario and Quebec, so to finally have the home Formula 1 race after my third season in the sport is very special."

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, located in Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montréal, Que., is 4.361 km in length with two DRS zones, but it is a track with more history than meets the eye.

The course runs like a hybrid of a street circuit and a natural road course, with high speeds and curves, elevation changes, and tight chicanes.

The name comes from Gilles Villeneuve, who notched his maiden victory at the Canadian Grand Prix in 1978 at the then-called Île Notre-Dame Circuit, and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo, who are both still racing, also drove to their maiden wins on the track.

For Williams, their last F1 champion was Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, son of the late Gilles, who won in 1997. Joining a team with a history for Canadian drivers as special as Williams is not lost on Latifi.

"It's very, very special joining Williams. I mean, there's obviously a lot of the history and pedigree of the team and knowing that the team I was joining in that sense was a very cool and kind of privileged feeling," said Latifi.

Latifi knows that, as a Williams driver, the narrative is not as simple as being a World Drivers Championship front-runner the same way the likes of current leaders Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and Red Bull's Max Verstappen are.

While Williams has a storied history with 114 race victories — good for fourth overall all-time —  its last title of any kind (constructors or driver) came 25 years ago. The team's last race victory was by Pastor Maldonado in 2012 at the Spanish GP.

The struggles on the track aren’t just physical or mechanical, but also take a mental toll. So returning home is where Latifi wants to make a turning point in the season and prove his place on the grid.

A runner-up in Formula 2 in 2019, Latifi was named to Williams as a test and reserve driver, participating in six free practice sessions that year. The following year he replaced Robert Kubica, and drove alongside now-Mercedes driver George Russell.

The 26-year-old is now in his third season with Williams and — after a rocky rookie campaign — managed to collect seven points in 2021, finishing 17th, only two spots behind teammate Russell.

Even after a controversial season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that decided the drivers' championship left Latifi in a dark place after a crash, he refused to give in to the doubters and came back with a reason to race in 2022.

While Latifi and Haas' Mick Schumacher are yet to find points on the grid this season, the Canadian still has set goals for the second half of his season.

"The obvious thing is we want to see continuous improvement still, from me on the personals and driving, and from the car performance side as well," said Latifi.

"It's clear, we're not starting off where we wanted to as an overall package. We had higher hopes," he said. "We're kind of just working hard in the background and being patient."

The FW44, the 2022 edition of the Williams Car, has been challenging as new, larger tyres were implemented for all cars in the 2022 season, though Latifi's teammate, Alex Albon, has managed to secure points driving it.

Both Albon and Latifi agree that as some updates to the car are implemented, it can be a much more competitive vehicle. And Latifi knows that he can then aim higher as a driver.

"From my side, I've not adapted as quickly and as easily as the new style of car and the new tyres as I would have hoped. So it's becoming more of a challenge than I wanted," he said. "I just need to feel like I'm still improving, making steps and getting more out of the car, each session … I mean, naturally this weekend, it would obviously be very, very nice to have a good performance and good results just because it's the home race.

"But at the end of the day, this race is not worth any more points than the other ones. It's just by nature of being my home race and having home support, it would definitely be nice. But we also need to be realistic that the car is where the car is, at the moment, which is the slowest car on the grid — we obviously need to rely on some other opportunities to present themselves if we want to have good results."

So, sure, just another race … but also in his hometown, for the first time, with the world watching. But Latifi insists he is just as motivated by the need to prove to himself. To show that he can achieve higher than what he has done. And, yes, he is also keenly aware that the maple leaf will be following him around the track.

"When I step back and think about it, I mean, I've always been very proud to represent Canada on the international stage, even when I was in the junior categories. In Formula 2 and whatnot especially … there's just not that many Canadians and similarly with North Americans in general that make the trip and the commitment across the other side of the Atlantic to kind of try and get on board pursue that Formula 1 path," said Latifi.

"Once I made the step to Formula One, Lance (Stroll) was here at the time, which was obviously great to have a Canadian in the sport for those years. Because this Grand Prix is always one of the most special on the calendar, and obviously always helps when you have a whole way to cheer for you kind of added to that, that home support, the growth of Formula 1 in Canada, hopefully inspiring younger racers to pursue that path."