A billionaire heir has launched his own tequila company following his departure from motorsport and a controversial stint in F1
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Nicholas Latifi has entered the world of business since leaving F1(Image: Getty)
Former Formula One driver Nicholas Latifi has been keeping himself busy since leaving motorsport by launching his own tequila venture. The Canadian, whose father is a billionaire businessman, initially joined Williams F1 in 2020 to partner George Russell and secured 11th place in his debut race at the Australian Grand Prix.
Latifi competed in F1 for three years before Logan Sargeant took his place at the end of the 2022 season. Unfortunately, his F1 career was largely characterised by poor results and numerous DNFs – none more infamous than his crash at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Montreal-born driver unwittingly played a pivotal role in that year’s dramatic final race when, with just over five laps remaining, he crashed his Williams at Turn 14 and brought out the safety car. Race director Michael Masi reversed his original decision to let five lapped cars separate leader Lewis Hamilton from second-placed Max Verstappen to pass
That enabled Verstappen to overtake Hamilton on fresher tyres and claim both the race victory and the championship, meaning Latifi inadvertently caused the Brit’s eighth title to be cruelly torn from his grasp.
Latifi faced widespread criticism for his involvement, which led him to issue a grovelling apology afterwards: “It was never my intention, and I can only apologise for influencing and creating an opportunity. I made a mistake. I wasn’t aware of the situation of the race up until then. Obviously, it was never my intention to inadvertently influence that, but I made a mistake and ruined my own race.”
The 30-year-old later revealed Hamilton had reached out with a supportive message, but he would last just one more season in F1. After being axed by Williams, many expected him to transition into IndyCar or another racing discipline.
However, he abandoned motorsport altogether and enrolled at London Business School in 2023, where he pursued a Master of Business Administration (MBA). He finished his MBA programme after two years and announced his graduation in 2025.
Latifi wasted no time entering the business world. Following Hamilton’s footsteps, who launched his alcohol-free Almave tequila brand in 2023, Latifi co-founded his own tequila venture, Leve Agave Spirit, in the UK last year.
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Latifi had to apologise to Lewis Hamilton(Image: Getty)
Updating fans in early November, Latifi posted on Instagram: “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.
“With that mission, we created Leve, a mid-strength agave spirit (22% ABV) crafted for a lighter, smoother, more modern way of drinking, while staying true to tequila’s traditions.
“From the initial idea to product development, branding, production and now launch, it’s been an incredible ride. What started as a conversation in a classroom is now a bottle we’re holding in our hands, and soon, hopefully, you will be too. We’re just getting started in the UK, but we’re excited to finally share it with all of you.”
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Latifi’s crash in Abu Dhabi led to the 2021 F1 season’s controversial end(Image: Getty)
Latifi has quite a way to go before matching the achievements of his father, Michael. The 63-year-old founded and owns meat processing empire Sofina Foods and boasts a net worth of $3.5billion (£2.6bn), according to Forbes. Originally from Iran, his family moved to Canada during his teenage years, where he landed his first job at McDonald’s.
In May 2018, Latifi senior acquired roughly 10 per cent of the McLaren Group through his investment firm Nidala Limited for around £200million. Alongside his other children, Nicholas stands to inherit his wealth, which features a £160m yacht Michael bought from Aston Martin co-owner Lawrence Stroll and one of Michael Schumacher’s former Ferrari racecars.