Massa: Williams must prove it wants me to stay for 2018

Felipe Massa wants Williams to show that it wants to keep him as part of its Formula 1 line-up for the 2018 season if he is to extend his unexpected reprieve with the team into a second year.

Massa had planned to retire from F1 at the end of 2016, only to be recalled when Valtteri Bottas moved up to Mercedes in place of Nico Rosberg, freeing up a seat at Williams alongside Lance Stroll.

Massa has enjoyed his bonus year in F1 so much that he is looking to stay for 2018, but will only do so if Williams proves it wants to keep him on-board as part of its plans.

"For sure I am interested to stay if I think everything around is correct for me to stay: the team, what are the plans for the team, what are the ideas for next year, what is around everything," Massa said when asked by Crash.net about his future.

"And the team needs to show that it wants to have me. If I see that, maybe I’ll stay. If I don’t see that, I don’t stay."

With the driver market appearing to shape up in recent weeks, there are few obvious candidates who can replace Massa at Williams should the team seek an alternative - and it is an assertion the Brazilian agrees with.

"I feel the same. I feel in exactly the same position," Massa said.

"But it’s not just because of that. As I said, I want to have everything I want in the way that I believe is correct for me."