Felipe Massa set to rejoin Williams: reports

With Massa accepting a new contract with Williams, Bottas move to Mercedes looks all but certain.

Felipe Massa had announced that the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2016 will be final race.

Brazilian Formula One driver, Felipe Massa, who had announced that the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2016 will be final race, is likely to stay at Williams for another year, according to latest reports.

Williams, who signed 18-year-old Lance Stroll for 2017 season, had earlier said that the >team will allow Valtteri Bottas to shift to Mercedes only if they have an experienced driver in the likes of Massa with them.

"Williams has its own ambitions and we must always ensure we give our team the best opportunity to move forward. Any changes would only be made if Williams remains in a strong position to compete and develop in 2017.

"If we did allow Valtteri to leave, we would only do this if an experienced, credible alternative was available, such as someone like Felipe Massa, for example.

"Whatever we decide, it must be in the best interests of this team."

With Massa accepting a new contract with Williams, Bottas move to Mercedes looks all but certain. Mercedes has been left unguard after the sudden retirement of World Champion, Nico Rosberg. Following which, Mercedes has been desperate in quickly finding a partner for Lewis Hamilton for the next season.

The 2017 season is slated to draw some major regulation changes in Formula 1, such as bigger tyres, new rules of overtaking, etc.