• Ferrari news

Massa announces Ferrari exit

Felipe Massa will leave Ferrari after eight season with the team © Sutton Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News:
• Domenicali and Alonso pay tribute to Massa
  
• News:
• Ferrari confirms the return of the prodigal son
  

Felipe Massa has confirmed he will leave Ferrari at the end of the season, opening the door for Kimi Raikkonen to return to the team.

After eight years with the team, Massa announced via his Instagram account that he will not be retained by Ferrari next season and is on the lookout for a new team in the hope of fighting for the championship once again.

"From 2014 i will no longer be driving for Ferrari," Massa wrote on Instagram. "I would like to thank the team for all the victories and incredible moments experienced together. Thank you also to my wife and all of my family, to my fans and all my sponsors. From each one of you I have always received a great support!

"Right now I want to push as hard as possible with Ferrari for the remaining 7 races. For next year, I want to find a team that can give me a competitive car to win many more races and challenge for the Championship which remains my greatest objective!"

Having originally joined Ferrari in 2006 after three years with Sauber, Massa won two races alongside Michael Schumacher in the seven-time world champion's final year with the team. Massa was then joined by Raikkonen - who won the title in 2007, before he himself came within a whisker of winning the title in 2008 only to lose out to Lewis Hamilton by one point.

However, Massa has failed to win a race since then, missing the second half of the 2009 season after he suffered life-threatening injuries in a crash in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. He was fit for the start of the following year, but has played second fiddle to Fernando Alonso ever since and scored just three podiums in the last three years.

Massa's announcement comes amid growing reports that Raikkonen is due to re-join Ferrari alongside Alonso next season. Nico Hulkenberg is the other driver who has been heavily linked with Massa's seat over the past two seasons.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.