Felipe Massa has announced his retirement from Formula One at the end of the current season during a press conference in Monza.
The decision halts several months of speculation about the Brazilian's future and will bring to an end his 15-year F1 career at this year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It also creates a vacancy at Williams for 2017 alongside Massa's current teammate Valtteri Bottas, who is expected to stay for another year.
Massa's career dates back to his debut with Sauber in 2002 and consists of 11 victories and 41 podiums to date. He came closest to winning the title in 2008 but missed out on the championship by a single point to Lewis Hamilton. The dramatic finale took place at his home race in Sao Paulo and saw him cross the line as champion, only for Hamilton to make up a crucial position in the final corner to take the points necessary to beat Massa to the title.
The 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix also stands as Massa's last victory to date ahead of a 138-race (and counting) victory drought. He looked the more likely of the two Ferrari drivers to score a victory in 2009 until a horrific accident at the Hungarian Grand Prix -- which saw him struck in the head by a spring from Rubens Barrichello's Brawn GP -- forced him to sit out the second half of the year.
He returned to the cockpit in 2010, but as Fernando Alonso's teammate at Ferrari struggled to shine, and following the 2013 Italian Grand Prix he announced he was leaving Maranello. Williams signed him for 2014 where he rejoined forces with long-time race engineer Rob Smedley and enjoyed a return to form with three podiums during the course of the season.
His retirement at the end of the year should bring an end to a career spanning 250 race starts between 2002 and 2016.