Felipe Massa: “I finish with my head held high”

November 2017 marks Felipe Massa's last moments in the paddock F1 as an official driver. The Brazilian, who announced the end of his career in the premier discipline of motorsport a few days before his national Grand Prix at Interlagos, will compete this weekend in front of an audience fully committed to his cause.

Asked at a press conference about his feelings before putting an end to his presence in F1 which began in 2002, the Paulist remains proud of his career, initiated at Sauber before his years Ferrari and Williams.

“A ten out of dix is ​​when you win a championship or maybe even more than that, comments Massa. JI would say that I have had a very successful career. I had a career that I thought I would never achieve when I was a kid.

Formula 1 was a dream, and I managed to achieve it. I managed to win a lot of races, I managed to fight for the championship until the last meters, and yes, perhaps I was the driver who came closest to the title in history, so I am very proud of my career.

Whether it's seven, eight, or nine out of ten, it doesn't matter. I am very proud of what I achieved, and of so many things learned, from so many people I met. What’s also important is that people respect me. It is essential: have a good relationship with most of the people I work with. There are still many things to do in life but I end with my head held high, and I think that is the most important. »

The end of one adventure, the beginning of another?

If the former teammate of Michael Schumacher has decided to end his career in F1, a year after first announcing his retirement before extending with Williams for 2017, the Brazilian may well not hang up his helmet for good.

« I think it's part of my expectations to continue driving, to continue having fun on the track, argues the Grove pilot. This is what I’ve been doing since I was eight years old, and it’s been my job for a long time. So I think when you're driving and you're competing, you really feel the emotion of doing your job, or having fun.

I really hope I can find the category that I will have fun in, like in Formula 1 for all these years. I'll have enough time to think about it, to understand what's the right category to go into, and then we'll see. »

The Brazilian future in F1 in dotted lines.

The retirement of Felipe Massa could also mean the end of the presence of a Brazilian driver on the grid in 2018, a first in more than forty years. Massa also hopes that his country will continue to welcome the discipline which crowned his compatriots Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna.

« I really hope that Formula 1 stays in Brazil forever. So many Brazilian drivers have raced for Formula 1, with so many titles so I really hope Interlagos stays in Formula 1 for a very long time and whatever I can give to help, not by racing, I will.

It is true that we are not living an easy time in Brazil, financially speaking, but I think it is a very important event for São Paulo. This is a very important event for Formula 1 in Brazil and for me it is very difficult to answer, but I really hope that Brazil will stay in F1 for a very long time. »