For the first time ever, two Canadians will compete simultaneously in Formula 1. Williams F1 driver Nicholas Latifi and former Williams 1 driver Lance Stroll (who now races with his father’s F1 team) will both compete in the full 2020 Formula 1 season.
This will mark the first pairing of Canadians racers in Formula 1 since Eppie Wietzes and Al Pease participated in the 1967 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport.
But as Ontario kart racers know only too well, the resignation of ASN Canada FIA as the governing body for motorsports in Canada has caused turmoil ahead of the 2020 season.
Kart racers who competed in the Florida Winter Tour who would normally have applied for an international racing license through Paul Cooke and Roger Peart have found their Oakville office closed. Just like the kart racers, Formula 1’s Canadian drivers will race under American racing licenses issued by ACCUS (Automobile Competition Committee for the United States).
The FIA’s appointment of a new Autorité Sportive Nationale is expected on April 1st, 2020, but that’s far too late for Latifi and Stroll, who’ll be competing at the Australian Grand Prix on March 15th, 2020. Drivers will still have their Canadian nationality recognized during driver introductions and the unlikely event of a Canadian podium finish.
