F1 drivers pay tribute to retiring Felipe Massa

Drivers have been paying tribute to Felipe Massa following his announcement he will be retiring from Formula 1 at the end of the 2016 season after 14 years in the sport.

One of the most successful drivers of the modern F1 era, with eight races of his career still remaining, Massa has notched up 11 wins, 41 podiums and a run to the runners-up spot in 2008 one point behind Lewis Hamilton during stints with Sauber, Ferrari and most recently Wiilliams.

Following the announcement, drivers have been expressing their tributes to the Brazilian, including former team-mates Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen

OBRIGADO FELIPE: Felipe Massa announces he will retire from F1 this year

Fernando Alonso:
I wish him the best for the future and for his family. I raced with him in every season of his career because I raced and started before. I shared four years as a team-mate so he is a great man and we will miss him next year but as I said he felt it was the right moment so I wish him all the best.
Kimi Raikkonen:
Obviously it's a big shame, but this is his choice in the end. We had a good relationship when we were in the same team and obviously he has had some difficult moments in F1, with the accident, but he's been strong always and he's a very nice guy. So, life goes on, and I'm sure he made the right choice for himself, so hopefully he has a good end to his F1 career.

Nico Rosberg:
It is a loss for our sport because he is a great character and has done some exciting things on the track and done so well. But every career comes to an end at some point and we wish him well for what comes next.
Kevin Magnussen:
He's had a long career. I don't think I've seen Formula One when he wasn't racing, so he's had a long career. He's had a good one. As Kimi said, if he feels it's the right time then good luck to him and not much more.
Sebastian Vettel:
He's a really nice guy, really funny. It's a shame to see that he quits because he will be missed. Obviously I wish him all the best for whatever he decides to do in the future. I think apart from the talent and speed he has on the track, as I said, he's a great guy and very easy-going and he will be missed.
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Esteban Gutierrez:
Well I think it was quite a wise decision to make - which is probably not an easy one to make for everyone's career. I have great memories for when he accepted my call and invited me for dinner back in 2008, when I was racing Formula BMW. At that time, that meant a lot for me. Now, I wish him the best. He has made an incredible career and he has to be proud of that.
Jenson Button:
I've raced with Felipe since he started in Formula One, I think it's about 15 years we've been racing together, so yeah, it's always a strange feeling when someone retires from the sport that's achieved so much, so many victories, and being so close as well to a world championship. But we all have our own reasons. I think it's a brave decision but he's chosen to retire so it's definitely the right one.
Carlos Sainz:
From my personal side I remember meeting him for the first time in 2005. I think I was 10-11 years old. He was really kind to me and was my hero Formula One driver. He was very funny, very kind to me and since then I've had lots of respect for him. Five minutes before coming here I went to give him a hug, wish him all the best and I'm sure he'll have a good life from now on.

Felipe Massa's proposed final race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November will be his 250th and last GP.

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