From training in four layers of clothes in anticipation of the Singapore humidity to leaving the Williams team later this year, we get all tea about the Canadian driver’s first race here
The stage is set, cars are ready, pit stop practices are ongoing and drivers are gearing up for what is known to be one of the hardest tracks on the Formula One calendar: Singapore.
With a bit of time to go before drivers get into their cars to start racing tomorrow evening, Tatler Singapore was invited into the Paddock to mingle with drivers and explore the Williams Racing team garage and hospitality spaces as they count down to race day.
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The atmosphere was relaxed as drivers walked around, conducted interviews and worked with the engineers for final touches before the first and second practice runs take place on Friday (September 30).
We were personally ushered into the Williams hospitality space where driver Nicholas Latifi was sitting (and munching on a bowl of pretzels) before he was due to go into the garage to test out the seat in his car.
He greeted us warmly before sitting down and getting right into it, clearly a man with a packed schedule. Here’s what he had to say ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix 2022.
This will be your first Grand Prix in Singapore. What are your thoughts about the track so far?
Nicholas Latifi (NL): So firstly, it’s been one of the races on the calendar that I’ve been most excited for and to experience as an F1 driver. You know as you said, it is my first time here even though I have been in this sport for three years.
So I’ve heard a lot about this track and just the event itself from team members and other drivers. It has a reputation for being the most physical track on the calendar by far. You know the humidity, the heat.
As well as the track itself, any street track is going to have an added level of intensity to it. This one has a lot of corners, actually, I think it has the most corners. And they are all real corners. None of them are really flat out so you have to work hard for each one. It’s very bumpy, not a lot of straights so you don’t have time to rest.
So I’m curious as to how that challenge is going to be and I’m looking forward to experiencing it for the first time tomorrow.