Massa announces his retirement, again

Felipe Massa has confirmed, for the second year running, that he’ll be retiring from Formula 1 at the end of last season.

Although the Brazilian retired from the sport at the end of the 2016 season, he came out of retirement when Williams lost Valtteri Bottas to Mercedes.

This season has been a good one for the returning driver, who has scored 36 points to put him 11th in the Drivers’ Championship.

But while Massa had hoped to remain in F1 for yet another season, Williams made no secret of the fact that they were looking for a replacement driver.

As such Massa announced on Saturday that his Formula 1 career is officially over – again.

“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,” he said.

“I have now enjoyed four great years with the team, but my career in Formula One will finally come to an end this season. 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.”