Felipe Massa won't hand back retirement Formula 1 car

Felipe Massa of Williams poses for a portrait during day one of F1 winter testing at Circuit de Catalunya on March 1, 2016
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Felipe Massa says that he will not have to hand back the F1 car gifted to him by Williams for his retirement.

Felipe Massa has said that he will not have to hand back the Formula 1 car gifted to him by Williams for his retirement.

Amid his emotional farewell to the sport late last year, the British team promised to give the Brazilian the 'Massa'-branded car with which he raced at Interlagos.

However, Massa's eventual retirement was short-lived, as he is now returning to Williams for 2017 to replace the Mercedes-bound Valtteri Bottas.

"I wish [Bottas] well now that he has this opportunity to go to Mercedes," Italy's Corriere dello Sport quotes the 35-year-old as saying.

"He is going to the team that has won the last three championships and I am sure they will be competitive this year."

As for his gifted 2016 Williams, meanwhile, Massa said: "It's mine! It's mine!

"I saw it at the factory a few days ago and it still had my name written on it.

"What happened in the last races was incredible, especially in Brazil. It was a perfect ending, but then things changed and I followed my heart."

Massa came 11th in the 2016 drivers' championship with 53 points.

Heikki Kovalainen of Finland and Caterham arrives in the paddock before the final practice session prior to qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on August 24, 2013
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