Williams have confirmed that Nicholas Latifi will leave the team at the end of this current Formula 1 season.

The Canadian has been in F1 since 2020 with him making his debut at the Austrian Grand Prix in the truncated, pandemic-hit campaign.

Since then, he's earned a cult following among fans of the sport but, ultimately, has not hit the targets and aims he would have had for himself often enough to keep his seat for another year.

His contract comes to an end this season with the Grove-based team, and it's been confirmed now by Williams that he will not be having that renewed, with the team revealing that they will announce the identity of Alex Albon's team-mate for '23 in due course.

Nicholas Latifi reacts to Williams exit

As quoted by a press release from the team, Latifi thanked Williams for the opportunity and support they'd given him since his arrival on the grid:

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Williams Racing - all the people back at the factory and those I work with trackside - for the last three years. My initial F1 debut was postponed due to the pandemic but we eventually got going in Austria and, although we have not achieved the results together we hoped we would, it’s still been a fantastic journey. Getting those first points in Hungary last year was a moment I’ll never forget, and I will move onto the next chapter of my career with special memories of my time with this dedicated team. I know none of us will stop putting in every effort until the end of the season."

MONZA, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 10: Nicholas Latifi of Canada and Williams prepares to drive in the garage during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 10, 2022 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Jost Capito, team principal of Williams, meanwhile, had this to say:

"On behalf of the whole team, I would like to say an enormous thank you to Nicholas for his three years of hard work with Williams. He is a great team player who has a great attitude towards his colleagues and work and is well liked and respected throughout the business. Our time together is now coming to an end, but I know he will put full effort in to maximise what we can do together for the remainder of this season. We wish him all the very best of luck for his future, both in and out of the cockpit."

The death knell for Latifi's time at Williams may well have been the Italian Grand Prix where Nyck de Vries stood in for Albon, who had appendicitis, and outqualified and outraced him at Monza.

Indeed, De Vries is one of the hot favourites to replace Latifi within the team for next year.