Latifi only realised he tagged Mazepin from TV replay
Nicolas Latifi didn't know that he had collided with Formula 1 rival Nikita Mazepin until he saw a TV replay of their first lap crash at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The Canadian had spun off the track at Acque Minerali on the opening lap at Imola but managed to get going again. However, as he resumed on the run to the Variante Alta, he tagged Mazepin's front left wheel and was spun around into the wall before the chicane.
Reflecting on the incident, Latifi said that he wasn't aware that his Haas competitor was alongside him.
"When I came back on, I was staying to the left side as much as I could," said the Williams driver. "I thought that I was the last car as I saw [Sebastian] Vettel go by me and, to be honest. I didn't even see Nikita.
"Anyway there was spray and looking back at the video he would have been right in my blind spot anyway.
"But I was not aware he was there. So I actually [saw the video] not until quite a lot after the incident since I was in the Medical Centre for quite a long time, which actually just was a thing with the paper work.
"I [originally] thought I just got a bit of wheel spin and spun off because of that. So I was not aware of any contact with Nikita until quite a long time afterwards."
Mazepin reckoned after the race that Latifi had not been aware he was alongside him – having spotted the Williams driver coming back on ahead of him.
"He had an issue with locking up into Turn 13," explained the Russian. "He went off, he lost three places, and came back.
"I was the car that he came back with side by side, and there was just not enough space for me. I don't think he was aware of me, because I think he thought that all the cars passed him.
"But then I was there and I just couldn't move any further. It was very fortunate that I was able to finish the race."
Latifi's early exit at Imola came after an encouraging weekend where he had shown a promising step forward in performance.
"It was very frustrating. Unfortunate," he said. "There were going to be some opportunities. Obviously very, very difficult conditions and actually frustrated with myself that I didn't even get to participate in the race and see what could have been possible. But yeah, that's how racing goes sometimes."
Related video
How "overwhelming" McLaren move has given Ricciardo a new verve
Phil Hill – America’s first F1 champion and Le Mans legend
Why Piastri's F1 attempt to join McLaren carries risky implications
After the 2006 Formula 1 British GP, Lewis Hamilton's father Anthony was a frustrated man, despite his son - at the time a star in GP2 - had just scored a memorable double win in that weekend's feature and sprint events.
Perez: DNFs have been "killing" my F1 season so far
Sergio Perez still believes “everything is open” in the Formula 1 title battles after the summer break despite some DNFs “killing” his season so far.
Alpine: Ocon has what it takes to lead the F1 team in 2023
Alpine Formula 1 boss Otmar Szafnauer believes that Esteban Ocon has what it takes to lead the team following Fernando Alonso’s departure at the end of this season.
Why few would blame Leclerc if he leaves Ferrari in future
OPINION: Ferrari's numerous strategy blunders, as well as some of his own mistakes, have cost Charles Leclerc dearly in the 2022 Formula 1 title battle in the first half of the season. Though he is locked into a deal with Ferrari, few could blame Leclerc if he ultimately wanted to look elsewhere - just as Lewis Hamilton did with McLaren 10 years prior.
Why few would blame Leclerc if he leaves Ferrari in future
OPINION: Ferrari's numerous strategy blunders, as well as some of his own mistakes, have cost Charles Leclerc dearly in the 2022 Formula 1 title battle in the first half of the season. Though he is locked into a deal with Ferrari, few could blame Leclerc if he ultimately wanted to look elsewhere - just as Lewis Hamilton did with McLaren 10 years prior.
The other McLaren exile hoping to follow Perez's path to a top F1 seat
After being ditched by McLaren earlier in his F1 career Sergio Perez fought his way back into a seat with a leading team. BEN EDWARDS thinks the same could be happening to another member of the current grid
How studying Schumacher helped make Coulthard a McLaren F1 mainstay
Winner of 13 grands prix including Monaco and survivor of a life-changing plane crash, David Coulthard could be forgiven for having eased into a quiet retirement – but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, in fact he’s busier than ever, running an award-winning media company and championing diversity in motor racing. Not bad for someone who, by his own admission, wasn’t quite the fastest driver of his generation…
Could F1 move to a future beyond carbon fibre?
Formula 1 has ambitious goals for improving its carbon footprint, but could this include banishing its favoured composite material? Pat Symonds considers the alternatives to carbon fibre and what use, if any, those materials have in a Formula 1 setting
The traits that fuelled Alonso's unexpected Aston Martin F1 move
Fernando Alonso’s bombshell switch to Aston Martin sent shockwaves through Formula 1, not least at Alpine that finds itself tangled in a contract standoff with Oscar Piastri. Not shy of a bold career move and with a CV punctuated by them, there were numerous hints that trouble was brewing.
The elements Ferrari must resolve to first save face, then win championships
OPINION: Ferrari's Formula 1 title hopes look all but over after another strategic blunder in last week's Hungarian Grand Prix denied Charles Leclerc the chance to fight for victory, while handing it to chief rival Max Verstappen. The Scuderia now faces intense scrutiny over what it must now do to finally become a genuine factor in championship battles
The clues about Hamilton’s F1 retirement plans after Vettel decision
OPINION: Sebastian Vettel is set to leave Formula 1 at the end of 2022 and will, rather shockingly, be replaced by Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin. But what about the final chapter of the other driver that defined the post-Michael Schumacher era? In Hungary, Lewis Hamilton spoke about his future in the context of Vettel’s upcoming departure, which offered clues on how long it will last.
Why all signs point to F1’s Monaco special relationship continuing
OPINION: With more potential venues than there are slots in future calendars, rumours have been circulating that the Monaco Grand Prix could be a casualty of F1’s expansion into new markets. But Mark Gallagher thinks this is highly unlikely.