Bird replaces Latifi at Pedersen

Michael Pedersen Racing announced today that test driver Sam Bird will replace struggling Canadian Nicholas Latifi at the team from the Belgian Grand Prix onwards.

Latifi’s final race with the team was marked with controversy after a clash with Exolite driver Fernando Alonso launched the Spanish former world champion into a barrell roll at the Clark chicane. Latifi later spun a couple of laps later.

Several in the paddock have speculated about a move such of this throughout the season and many have been surprised that it has taken this long for the notoriously trigger happy Pedersen to resist the urge to replace the underperforming Canadian.

Meanwhile, Latifi will remain with the team as third driver and will replace Bird in the team’s FF2M operation ‘Danish Racing’ for the remainder of the FF2M season.