An offer from Williams that Felipe Massa couldn’t refuse

Felipe Massa had chosen the Italian Grand Prix to announce his retirement from Formula 1 at the end of the 2016 season. Nonetheless, he was not the true decision-maker in this situation since Williams clearly pointed him towards the exit as they were keen on bringing in Lance Stroll, whose wallet was as full as his promises behind the wheel, alongside Valtteri Bottas.

The Brazilian thus clearly indicated that he did not intend to hang up his helmet for good. He quickly made contacts with different Formula E teams in order to stay active for the upcoming season. An agreement had even been reached, but it had not yet been announced.

But when Nico Rosberg shook up the transfer market by announcing his immediate retirement, Valtteri Bottas quickly became Mercedes’ priority. Consequently, this brought Felipe Massa back into the minds of Williams’ management, who were looking for an experienced driver to partner with an 18-year-old rookie, as the driver with number 19 acknowledges: “I think what happened at the end of the season with Nico’s surprise retirement triggered a unique chain of events. Valtteri got a fantastic opportunity, and consequently, an opportunity presented itself for me. When the media started saying I might come back, I was touched by the response from so many fans who wanted to see me again in the sport.”

If he mentions the reaction of the fans in the decision process, Felipe Massa believes he simply could not refuse such an offer to return: « This was clearly a deciding factor. So I’d like to thank the fans for their support. But in the end, when I got the phone call, I couldn’t refuse. It was Williams! »

If we can obviously think that the team’s name and track record undoubtedly played a role, we also cannot overlook the financial aspect of the agreement, which surely had to be negotiated by his long-time agent, Nicolas Todt. Indeed, Williams received a substantial compensation from Mercedes to release Valtteri Bottas, which was itself available due to the non-payment of the planned salary for Nico Rosberg, amounting to nearly 20 million euros.

The Brazilian’s entourage could not ignore this strong position in the discussions, especially since the alternatives were not many for Williams. Obviously, Felipe Massa remains very discreet on the matter: “I am not going to give any figures or details regarding the negotiations. All I can say is that it was the right decision. I am happy to continue being part of the team.”

If Felipe Massa’s return is a solution that suits all parties involved, it remains to question the sporting aspect. Indeed, it’s important to remember that the Paulista will be starting his 16th season in F1 and that his results are no longer what they were at the beginning of the Ferrari period. In the 2016 season, he was outqualified 17 times out of 21 and out-raced 9 times out of 16. Let’s hope for him that this last season won’t be one too many…

With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr