Felipe Massa has confirmed that he will leave Ferrari at the end of the current season, paving the way for Kimi Raikkonen’s return.
The Brazilian, who made his debut with the Italian team in 2006, made the announcement via Twitter.
“From 2014 I will no longer be driving for Ferrari,” he tweeted. “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.”
The 32-year-old confirmed he would seek a drive elsewhere as long as it provided him with the opportunity to win races and challenge for the title.
“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 seven 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!”
Despite coming close to winning the 2008 title – which he lost out on by a single point to Lewis Hamilton – his recent performances haven’t been enough to put him in title contention.
Whilst Ferrari have remained loyal to the 32-year-old winner of 11 races for the past few years, they believe it’s the right time to replace him.
Finnish driver Raikkonen is currently favourite to do so, and an announcement, as reported by The F1 Times, is expected to be made on Wednesday confirming his return to Maranello.
