Nicholas Latifi reveals big factor in joining Williams for 2020 Formula 1 season

Latifi is driving in his first pre-season test for Williams since making the step up from Formula 2 and he has revealed one key reason that he decided to join the team, who have finished rock-bottom in both of the past two seasons.

With Robert Kubica being dropped from the side after just a season, this pathed the way for Latifi to partner George Russell for his rookie F1 season.

"There's a nice sense of positivity, I can definitely sense the morale is higher," Latifi said in a press conference, which GPblog were present at.

"There's a lot of optimism coming into this year. I think it was a big psychological boost that we were out waiting for the lights to go at the beginning of the first test.

"Even being in the team environment last year, it was always something I commented on when I was asked, 'how's the feeling inside the team?', given the struggles they were going through.

"Being in the environment, it was never that I felt that everyone was down and dragging their feet. Everyone was still showing up as if we were in the fight and trying to extract the maximum.

"That was one of the things I really resonated with and appreciated as a driver. I was even more excited (because of this) that I would be joining them. Especially in motorsport, you do have to stay positive and operate as if you are in the fight because those are the kind of things that make the difference when you might have a point to score and you keep pushing."