With Ferrari pairing Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, Formula One's annual game of musical chairs had, so far, left Brazilian veteran and 2013 Ferrari driver Felipe Massa without a team. Fortunately for Massa's fans, he's found a ride for next season, inking a three-year contract with Williams F1 that should allow his 11-year career in the top flight of open-wheel racing to carry on, according to a report from BBC Sport.
"When I was a kid, I always dreamed of racing for Williams, Ferrari or McLaren and I'm glad to be signing with another icon of the sport," Massa said in a statement. He spent the last eight years with Ferrari, winning 11 grands prix but suffering a devastating, near-lethal injury in 2009 that nearly ended his career, after a spring from another car impacted his helmet at speed.
Massa will be taking over for Pastor Maldonado, the Venezuelan who is rumored to be taking Raikkonen's place at Lotus. Joining the Brazilian will be Valtteri Bottas, a 24-year-old rookie that was quite highly billed in his climb to F1, but has failed to score a point this season and currently sits in 18th in the World Drivers' Championship.
"It is a team to fight for the championships and good results and I really want to be a part of it. I understand what they are doing to get stronger. I think we can be very successful and I believe it is the best choice compared to the other choices I had," Massa said of the struggling Williams team.
So, with Raikkonen at Ferrari, Maldonado probably heading for Lotus and Massa moving to Williams, have we finally gotten through F1's so-called Silly Season? It remains unclear, but as always, we'll be here to deliver any big news.
"When I was a kid, I always dreamed of racing for Williams, Ferrari or McLaren and I'm glad to be signing with another icon of the sport," Massa said in a statement. He spent the last eight years with Ferrari, winning 11 grands prix but suffering a devastating, near-lethal injury in 2009 that nearly ended his career, after a spring from another car impacted his helmet at speed.
Massa will be taking over for Pastor Maldonado, the Venezuelan who is rumored to be taking Raikkonen's place at Lotus. Joining the Brazilian will be Valtteri Bottas, a 24-year-old rookie that was quite highly billed in his climb to F1, but has failed to score a point this season and currently sits in 18th in the World Drivers' Championship.
"It is a team to fight for the championships and good results and I really want to be a part of it. I understand what they are doing to get stronger. I think we can be very successful and I believe it is the best choice compared to the other choices I had," Massa said of the struggling Williams team.
So, with Raikkonen at Ferrari, Maldonado probably heading for Lotus and Massa moving to Williams, have we finally gotten through F1's so-called Silly Season? It remains unclear, but as always, we'll be here to deliver any big news.
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