Nicholas Latifi: My pre-season journal

My off-season has been a really great mixture of activities.

I’ve managed to spend time relaxing but have also been very busy preparing for the 2022 season. After Abu Dhabi, I spent a few days back at Williams, tying 2021 up with some simulator work and getting everything set to go into the holidays.

I had a very nice holiday period, travelling pretty much all over the place! Maybe a bit more travel than I would have liked, but it was all worth it. We were able to visit both mine and my girlfriend's family before then taking our own little holiday where it was just the two of us.

It was quite relaxing to switch off, catch up with friends and just unwind and detach from the racing world. It was just what I needed because as soon as I got back, I've been flat out with everything that goes along with pre-season.

There’s been a lot of training plus I’ve spent plenty of days in the factory, mainly in the simulator. Along with that, my media commitments have started to ramp back up again, and it makes me even more excited to get going.

This is the first year in a long time that I’m not going away to a hot climate for a dedicated physical training camp. With lots to learn about the new car regulations, I’ve decided to stay mainly in London because I’ll be spending plenty of days at the factory. Much of my training is happening in and around where I live, which is nice. It’s been a case of getting out for some cardio in the typical British cold, wind and rain! I pair this with some normal gym sessions, pretty standard stuff.

Having said that, I am going to be doing one unique trip which I haven't done in a few years which I am really looking forward to. I’ll be heading to Finland to do some ice-driving, which is always a good way to knock off the dust and work on some core driving skills, and it’s also quite fun! Keep an eye on mine and Williams' social media channels to see what I get up to.

Once I’m back there’s a lot more time in the simulator to follow, just getting those miles in to be as prepared as possible for testing.

I’m looking forward to showing off our car and getting behind the wheel of the FW44. No one is really sure what each other's cars are going to look like, there will be new liveries up and down the grid. This whole unveiling period is a great way to kick off the new year.

With it being a new era in F1, it’s something that I was already looking forward to from the beginning of last year, but obviously, the rules were delayed. I can’t wait to experience what it’s going to feel like driving these new cars and, hopefully, everything works how it’s supposed to, which will make for some exciting and close racing.