Latifi set for FP1 run at Force India in Russia

Force India's development driver Nicholas Latifi will have another go in the team's F1 car next weekend, as the Canadian will be driving the car for the third time this season for the Pink Panthers in FP1.

Latifi's previous two runs came on his home soil in Canada, where he got to drive around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (and finished last in the session), and in Germany, as he did another FP1-session, this time in Hockenheim.

At Sochi, he will be replacing Sergio Pérez in FP1, granting him his third chance in the Force India car in 2018.

"It’s important to keep learning and building on my F1 experience," Latifi was quoted by F1i.

"This will be my third FP1, and with each one I’m getting more and more comfortable in the car.

"My main goal is to do a good job for the team – to bring the car back in one piece with good data and feedback after some quality running.

"What we do in that session is going to directly influence the race weekend."

Latifi, who is 23 years old, currently drives in Formula 2. He drives for the DAMS team in his second season of F2, previously also doing three seasons of GP2.

He was Renault's test driver in 2016, before becoming Force India's reserve driver in 2018. The fact that his father is incredibly rich (way richer than Lance Stroll's dad Lawrence) might have something to do with that, as the team struggled for income before going into administration this July.