Mississauga, Ontario – For the first time in 10 years, there is a Canadian driver in Formula One. As technical partner of the Renault Sport Formula One Team, Infiniti congratulates Nicholas Latifi of Toronto, Ontario, who was announced as a new test driver for the Renault Sport Formula One team.

The up-and-coming 20-year-old will be put through a test schedule to enable him to gain his Super Licence with the aim of participating in at least one Free Practice session during the course of this year's Formula One season.

Nicholas will undertake his new Test Driver role alongside his duties as a driver for the championship-winning DAMS squad in this season's GP2 Series - the main feeder category into Formula One.

“I speak on behalf of everyone at Infiniti Canada in congratulating Nicholas Latifi on his new role for Renault Sport Formula One Team. We are absolutely thrilled to see a Canadian driver on the roster,” said Stephen Lester, managing director of Infiniti Canada. “Formula One quickly evolved into a cornerstone of our business strategy since Infiniti first partnered with Red Bull Racing in 2011. Having Nicholas on the Renault Sport Formula One Team for the year ahead is an exciting prospect, as Infiniti continues to grow its presence in Canada with an expanding lineup, and now a Canadian driver with boundless talent.”

Latifi is well-known in the global motorsport community, having competed successfully in karts, Formula 3, Toyota Racing Series, Porsche Carrera Cup and Formula Renault 3.5. Nicholas’ budding professional racing career spans the globe, as he has competed with distinction in Canada, Canada, Italy, Great Britain, New Zealand, USA and Europe.

“My professional racing career officially started in 2009, but I’ve dreamt of competing at the Formula One level for as long as I can remember. Needless to say, I’m extremely excited to make my Formula One debut this year, and I’m honoured to take this huge step forward in my career with Renault Sport and Infiniti,” says Nicholas Latifi. “I’ve always admired the Infiniti brand, and its engineering expertise in performance hybrids is renowned around the world. Having the opportunity to experience this while also putting Canada back on the F1 grid after ten years is incredible.”

About the Infiniti and Renault Sport Formula One Partnership

For the 2016 season, Infiniti will be a technical partner of the new Renault Sport Formula One Team. Leveraging its expertise in performance hybrids, Infiniti will contribute engineering resources for the co-development of the Renault Energy F1 Power Unit's Energy Recovery System (ERS), which incorporates two motor generator units, the MGU-H and MGU-K, and a battery.

This new and enhanced involvement strengthens the Renault Nissan Alliance and at the same time leverages the opportunities the Alliance provides by creating powerful industrial synergies for its members.

Infiniti's reputation for performance hybrid vehicles is built on the widely-acclaimed 3.5-litre hybrid engine, which is offered on the Q50 sports sedan. Infiniti's strong expertise will be used by the Renault Sport Formula One Team in Viry-Châtillon as a team of Infiniti hybrid specialists move from Infiniti's technical center in Atsugi, Japan, to France to support development of the Renault Energy power unit. At the same time, Infiniti will use the experience from the F1 ERS system to further enhance its hybrid powertrains for road cars.

About Infiniti

Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in over 50 countries. The Infiniti brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States, United Kingdom and China. Infiniti plans to also expand manufacturing into Mexico by 2017.

Infiniti design studios are located in Atsugi-Shi near Yokohama, London, San Diego and Beijing. Infiniti is in the middle of a major product offensive. The brand has been widely acclaimed for its daring design and innovative driver-assistance technologies.

From the 2016 season, Infiniti is a technical partner of the Renault Sport Formula One team, contributing its expertise in hybrid performance.

More information about Infiniti, its Total Ownership Experience® and its industry leading technologies can be found at Infiniti.ca.

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