Capito: Hungary showed that Latifi deserves to be in F1

The Canadian has often had his abilities questioned since making his Formula 1 debut last season, having been unable to outqualify George Russell during their year and a half together as teammates.

With big financial backing from his father, Latifi earned a seat at Williams after finishing second in F2 during the 2019 season, behind eventual champion Nyck de Vries.

The seventh-place finish at the Hungaroring was his first points result in F1, with Latifi capitalising on a chaotic start to jump up the order, before showing strong pace to remain in the top 10 throughout and finish ahead of Russell.

"This was the first time Nicky scored points in F1 – and it had to come,” said Capito.

“I’m sure it will be a big boost for him and give him a lot self-confidence. Qualifying behind George and the finishing ahead for sure is a big motivator for him.

"I was impressed with how Nicky brought it home amid the pressure of running in the points comfortably for the first time. At one point, he was third. To keep his head down and deliver was very impressive. It shows how much Nicky deserves to be in F1," Capito concluded.