MAY 1, 2015

Massa intends to stay at Williams

Felipe Massa says he has no plans to leave Williams or formula one at the end of the season.

Felipe Massa says he has no plans to leave Williams or formula one at the end of the season.

Many believe that, in the wake of his near-fatal 2009 crash, the Brazilian never quite returned to the type of form that almost carried him to the title with Ferrari.

Indeed, the 34-year-old was ousted by the fabled Italian team after his slump, but now he is at Williams, engineer Rob Smedley thinks Massa is back to his 2008-like best.

"I feel I am driving really well," Massa is quoted by Italy's Autosprint, "taking advantage of the car in the best way possible.

"Maybe many of you (journalists) were wrong when you said that the (2009) incident had completely changed my driving," he smiled.

Massa says there were "reasons" for his Ferrari slump, but declined to go into detail.

"The past is past," he insisted.

Today, Massa insists his dream of starting again where he left off in 2008 - fighting for the world championship - remains alive.

"It will be my dream until I know that it is impossible," he told UOL Esporte this week.

And Massa said he has no plans for retirement.

"What I plan is to make Williams an even more competitive team," he said. "It is a great pleasure to be there and I do not think much about my age. While I have this pleasure, I intend to keep driving.

"I have this contract year and an option and I do not see why I would leave," Massa concluded.

(GMM)