Felipe Massa will race for the final time in Formula 1 this weekend at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the Brazilian expects it to be an emotional farewell.
Massa retired last year before a last-minute decision to return to Williams to replace Valtteri Bottas, who replaced Nico Rosberg at Mercedes following his shock retirement just days after winning the title.
Although initially in the running to remain at Williams for 2018, with the Grove team evaluating a number of drivers including Robert Kubica, Paul di Resta and Pascal Wehrlein, Massa dropped out of the running early on and made the decision to retire fully, although has expressed an interest in racing in Formula E.
"Abu Dhabi is always a nice race and a place I always like to visit. The people go crazy for Formula 1 as well, so I hope to see the track completely full!
"There are so many parties and boats around the track, and so many people enjoying themselves and getting excited for the race. The track infrastructure is one of the best in the world too.
"For me, it will be quite an emotional weekend as it will be my final race with Williams as well as my final race in Formula 1. I am looking forward to it and plan to enjoy every moment, to finish my Formula 1 career on a high note!"
Williams technical boss Paddy Lowe says the team are committed to making sure Massa's career ends with a strong showing.
"This is Felipe’s final race with us, and his final in Formula 1, so part of our focus will be on making sure he ends his Formula 1 career on a good note.
"It is also the final race of Lance’s rookie season so we want to support him in his ambition to end on a high before heading into the winter break."
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