Nicholas Latifi has completely changed his life after leaving behind the world of Formula One

Former Formula One driver Nicholas Latifi has swapped the racing circuit for the drinks industry, launching his own tequila brand after walking away from motorsport completely.

The Canadian, whose father is worth a staggering £2.6 billion, co-founded Leve Agave Spirit alongside two classmates he met while studying for an MBA at London Business School.

It’s quite the career pivot for the 30-year-old, who finished his business degree in 2025 after enrolling back in 2023.

Interestingly, Latifi isn’t the first F1 name to venture into the spirits world – Lewis Hamilton launched his alcohol-free Almave tequila brand back in 2023.

Nicholas Latifi now sells tequila after quitting Formula One

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The timing feels rather poignant given the pair’s complicated history on track.

Latifi’s time in Formula One spanned three seasons with Williams, joining the team in 2020 as George Russell’s teammate.

His first race came at the Australian Grand Prix, where he managed to finish in 11th place – a decent start for a rookie.

But things never really took off from there.

His stint with the British team was largely defined by disappointing performances and a string of retirements that failed to impress.

When the 2022 season wrapped up, Williams decided it was time for a change and brought in American driver Logan Sargeant to take his seat.

Nicholas Latifi failed to impress during his time with Williams

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Many in the paddock assumed Latifi would simply move across to IndyCar or find another racing series to compete in.

Instead, he chose to leave motorsport behind entirely.

Of course, the moment that truly defined Latifi’s F1 legacy came during the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

With just over five laps left in that season-ending thriller, he lost control of his Williams at Turn 14 and triggered a safety car period.

What happened next changed everything.

Race director Michael Masi reversed his initial call and allowed the five lapped cars sitting between leader Hamilton and Max Verstappen to pass through.

Verstappen, running on fresher rubber, seized his chance and overtook Hamilton to snatch both the race win and the world championship.

Latifi was devastated by his role in the drama and issued an apology afterwards: “It was never my intention, and I can only apologise for influencing and creating an opportunity. I made a mistake.”

Lewis Hamilton has also launched his own alcohol-free Almave tequila brand back in 2023

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Hamilton later reached out with a supportive message.

Following his departure from the sport, Latifi surprised everyone by heading back to the classroom rather than another cockpit.

He completed his two-year MBA programme at London Business School and wasted no time putting those new skills to work.

In November, he shared the news about Leve on Instagram, explaining the brand’s philosophy: “Over a year ago, along with two friends from London Business School, we set out to create a version of tequila that better fits how we drink today – socially, mindfully, and without overdoing it.”

The mid-strength agave spirit comes in at 22% ABV, designed for what Latifi calls “a lighter, smoother, more modern way of drinking.”

His father Michael, who made his fortune through meat processing company Sofina Foods, owns roughly 10 per cent of the McLaren Group.