Felipe Massa will only join FE when he'll be competitive

ByAutoSport

Updated 07/01/2018 at 16:24 GMT

Felipe Massa says he will not rush his anticipated move into Formula E following his retirement from Formula 1 as he wants to ensure he is competitive from the outset.

Williams' Brazilian driver Felipe Massa waves at the crowd from the podium after his final home city race at the end of the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix, at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on November 12, 2017. Massa is to retire definiti

Image credit: Getty Images

Massa brought the curtain down on a 16-year career in F1 last year, and has previously declared his interest in moving on to FE.

He has tested the Jaguar FE car but does yet have a deal in place with any of the series' teams and said he will take his time to find a competitive seat rather than jumping straight in.

"I am trying to understand what the situation is going to be," Massa said,

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"I want to race in a championship where I believe I can be at the top, fighting for race victories and the championship.

Felipe Massa of Brazil and Williams at the Williams team photo before the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit on November 26, 2017 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Image credit: Getty Images

"I will prepare myself to find the right car and the right team and prepare myself to start the season well. It will not be straight away."

The current FE season began last month in Hong Kong and runs until July this year.

Massa did not rule joining the field during the current campaign, but warned he would only do so if he felt he had prepared sufficiently to be competitive.

"If I have the opportunity to do some races in the right way, then maybe," he said when asked if he could make his debut in the 2017/18 season before a full-time campaign in 2018/19.

"But I don't know if I'll have that opportunity.

"For sure I am not interested in taking the seat of another driver just to be there.

"I think I need to prepare myself in the right way as well."

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