Felipe Massa to retire from Formula 1 at end of 2016 season

Felipe Massa has announced he will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 2016 season.

The Williams driver, a veteran of 242 grands prix starts, is out of contract at the end of this year but had previously said he was keen to stay.

The Brazilian spoke to Williams about a renewal as well as having discussions with other teams about extending his stay in F1.

But it is believed retaining Massa was not at the top of Williams's priority list and he has now decided to choose his own destiny, ending a career that has spanned 14 seasons.

Announcing his decision at a press conference at Monza, alongside deputy team principal Claire Williams, Massa said: "I'm more nervous now than all my race starts.

"After 27 years of my racing career, since I started karting and with 15 years in F1, this will be my last season in F1.

"It will be my last eight race in F1 that I will enjoy as much as I can.

"Thank you to everybody who is around me and follows me in my career."

Massa made his F1 debut with Sauber in 2002 and after a year as Ferrari's test driver returned to the Swiss team for another two seasons.

He moved to Ferrari in 2006, scoring 11 wins during eight seasons with the team and coming agonisingly close to winning the title in '08.

The Brazilian, who missed the final eight races of the 2009 season after suffering a skull fracture in a freak accident in Hungarian GP qualifying, joined Williams in '14.

Massa has claimed 11 wins, 41 podiums, 16 pole positions, 15 fastest laps and 1110 points and is set to contest his 250th race in the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

The news comes at the same venue where Massa's mentor Michael Schumacher announced his initial retirement from F1, 10 years ago.

"I choose this place because 10 years ago Michael announced his retirement," Massa said.

"The only way for me to stay was for him to stop. He chose to give me this option to stay.

"Here is my second country that I love and I think this is an important place to do this."

Regarding the Williams line-up for 2017, the team is believed to be keen on retaining Valtteri Bottas.

Jenson Button, Felipe Nasr and Sergio Perez are also understood to be under consideration for seats.

Read the full story at Formula 1 news - Autosport