Felipe Massa has announced he will officially retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 2017 season, with Williams Martini Racing confirming the news in an official statement.
The Brazilian driver first announced his retirement last year, but returned to the team for the 2017 season when Valtteri Bottas left to join Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. Bottas’ move came after Nico Rosberg’s departure from F1, following his first Drivers’ Championship win.
“As everyone knows, after announcing my retirement from Formula One last year, I agreed to return this season to help Williams when the call came. I have now enjoyed four great years with the team, but my career in Formula One will finally come to an end this season,” Massa said in a team statement.
“Once more, I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this time: my wife and my father, my whole family, my manager Nicolas and all my friends, colleagues and sponsors.”
“I would also like to add a huge thank you to all of the fans who have been incredibly supportive and passionate over the years. I take so many great memories with me as I prepare for my final two races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, and although they will be emotional, I am looking forward to ending on a high note and preparing for a new chapter in my career,” he continued.
Massa’s career spans 15 seasons, starting with a debut with Red Bull Sauber Petronas, followed by a long stint with Ferrari before joining Williams in 2014. His stats include 267 race starts, 11 wins and 41 podiums, with his best championship finish coming in 2008 where he finished second, just one point behind Lewis Hamilton.
“I would like to thank Felipe for all he has done for the team over the last four years. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with him. We are especially grateful that he agreed to postpone his retirement from Formula One for a year, after Valtteri joined Mercedes, which demonstrated the depth of the relationship we built during our time together,” added Claire Williams, deputy team principal of Williams Martini Racing.
“We appreciate that it wasn’t an easy decision for him to return, after having such an emotional send-off at the end of last year. On behalf of Sir Frank, and all the team, we give our very best wishes to Felipe for the future,” she ended.
Thanks for the support love you guys ???? pic.twitter.com/TUCcXIYHVv
— Felipe Massa (@MassaFelipe19) 4 November 2017
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later he will debut in 2018
bah john,
you oughta try out as an F1 driver now that there’s a vacancy. You run your mouth so much that your hot air might be able to power up your F1 car.