Brazilian F1 driver Felipe Massa has decided to call time on his career, announcing that he will retire at the end of the 2016-17 Formula 1 season. Massa, who drives for Williams, has won 11 Grand Prix races during his 15-year career.
Massa stated that it was was a "difficult decision" for him to make. Before driving for Williams, the 35-year old was a part of the Sauber and Ferrari teams. He said, "I'm relieved and happy. You need to be strong enough to make decisions that are quite difficult."
All of Massa's victories came during his time with Ferrari, which was between 2006 and 2013. He also came close to winning the World Championship, losing out by a solitary point to Briton Lewis Hamilton in 2008. In 2009, Massa suffered a serious skull fracture from a crash following a loose spring in Hungary, leaving him unconscious on the track.
The current season's final race will be at Abu Dhabi on November 27 – it will be the 250th race of Massa's career. He said, "I chose this place to announce my decision because ten years ago Michael (Schumacher) announced his retirement and the only way for me to continue at Ferrari was for him to stop."
