- Williams
Williams signs Massa for 2014
Felipe Massa will replace Pastor Maldonado at Williams next year as he joins Valtteri Bottas to complete the team's 2014 driver line-up.
In September it was announced that Massa would lose his Ferrari drive to Kimi Raikkonen next year and his F1 future has been shrouded in uncertainty ever since. After intense speculation over the past few weeks, it has now been confirmed that he will replace Maldonado at Williams, who has been looking for a way out of the British team following a disappointing season.
"Williams is one of the most successful and important teams of all time in Formula One," Massa said. "When I was a kid, I always dreamed about racing for Williams, Ferrari or McLaren and I'm glad to be signing with another icon of the sport following my time at Ferrari. It is also nice to remember that some of the best Brazilian drivers raced for Williams and cemented a strong national link with the team.
"With such a major change of regulations in 2014, I hope my experience will be useful in helping the team in its effort to move on from a difficult period. Since my early days in motor racing, I don't remember seeing so many new rules in a single season and I'm fully prepared to work with everyone at Grove to make sure we find the right direction. I'm highly motivated to start working hard from the very beginning in what is an exciting new challenge in my career."
"We are delighted to be able to confirm our 2014 driver line-up and welcome Felipe into the Williams family," team principal Sir Frank Williams added. "He is an exceptional talent and a real fighter on the race track; he also brings a wealth of experience as we begin a new chapter in our story. Valtteri is a valued member of the team and I'm pleased he was able to demonstrate his talent in tricky conditions in Montréal. There is much more to come from him."
Maldonado's 2014 destination has not yet been confirmed, but at the last race in Abu Dhabi he said he is weighing up a couple of options. Lotus has made clear that it intends to sign Nico Hulkenberg if it can secure the finances to do so, but with a new investment deal not yet confirmed, Maldonado could still be an option.
Maldonado and Massa share the same manager in Nicolas Todt.
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