Nicholas Latifi explains 'biggest challenge' to F1 rookie trio

Formula 1

Latifi explains 'biggest challenge' to F1 rookie trio

Tsunoda, Schumacher and Mazepin all make the step up from F2

Ewan Gale

Monday 18 January 2021 11:04 Updated: 11:11

Williams driver Nicholas Latifi believes the biggest adjustment for Formula 1's rookies this season will be working with a larger number of people at their respective teams.

Yuki Tsunoda, Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin have been called up from Formula 2 for AlphaTauri and Haas respectively having all finished the campaign with victories under their belt - Schumacher graduating as the series champion.

Latifi was the only rookie to contest a full season last year, Pietro Fittipaldi and Jack Aitken adding to the number with appearances late in the year.

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The Canadian warned the trio they will need adapt quickly to working with significantly more people than they will have experienced in their junior careers.

"I think whenever you go into a new category there will be a challenge, with all the learning that comes along," he said.

"Formula 1, for me most drivers would say one of the biggest things is when you start to work with such a big volume of people compared to Formula 2 where you have maybe 14 or 15 people for the whole team, both cars and depending on what team you go into, you are into the hundreds of people you are representing.

"There are so many more people to work with, so much more to manage outside of the car beside the driving. I think it is one of the most challenging things and then everything else that comes along with the actual driving you just make the natural progressions you would do when you jump into a new category."

Haas is gambling on an all-rookie line-up of Schumacher and Mazepin and, despite his limited experience of the pair, competing against the two only in his final year in F2, Latifi believes both are "very well rounded" drivers.

"The biggest strengths and weaknesses are a bit difficult for me to judge," he explained. "I only raced against them for one year in Formula 2.

"I obviously watched them in other categories before as well. I think they are both very well rounded drivers."