Lewis Hamilton has joined in the congratulatory messages for forgotten Formula One driver Nicholas Latifi after he posted a photo of himself at a graduation ceremony. Latifi ditched F1 after leaving Williams in 2023 so that he could focus on his studies instead.

Having now completed an MBA at the London Business School, Latifi took to social media to issue an update on his situation. The post garnered plenty of responses, with seven-time world champion Hamilton among those sending his well-wishes. The current Ferrari man commented: “Congratulations,” accompanied by a clapping hands emoji.

On his recent achievement, Latifi said: “Hey everyone! It’s been a while since I last posted. I wanted to take some time away to fully focus on my MBA at London Business School and really enjoy the experience free of distractions. I’m happy to share that I graduated a few months ago!

“Having not done an undergrad degree, I had no idea what to expect, and will admit I was a little nervous at first. But, I quickly discovered how warm and welcoming the LBS community is and built friendships I know will last a lifetime. These past two years have been among the most rewarding of my life, filled with learning, growth, new experiences, and memories I will carry with me forever. Excited for what is ahead. More to come soon.”

It’s the 30-year-old’s first public statement since ditching the sport, with Latifi having spent three years behind the wheel in F1. All three of those years were with Williams, where he scored nine points overall, with his highest finish in the championship standings being 17th in 2021.

However, perhaps his most telling contribution to the sport was causing the crash that led to a safety car in the controversial finale to the 2021 season. There was a late restart in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, allowing Max Verstappen to overtake race leader Hamilton and clinch the title in dramatic fashion.

Latifi received plenty of backlash for his role in the incident, but the Canadian was adamant it didn’t have an effect. Speaking after the 2021 season, he said: “I was battling with Mick [Schumacher] for a position way out of the points. I think that was one of the strong things that I wanted to hammer home to all the racing fans.

“In reality, it doesn’t matter if I’m racing for P20, P19, points or the podium. On that day, our car was only good enough to be racing in those positions. If I’m not going to be racing and trying to get every little thing, Williams might as well not show up to the races. So that’s obviously a silly attitude to have, but that’s just the perception of the public.”