Massa fears for Brazil`s F1 legacy

Abu Dhabi: Felipe Massa has expressed his fears about Brazil`s ability to maintain a tradition of supplying leading drivers to Formula One.

Massa, who is struggling to find a seat for 2014 after being told he will be released by Ferrari, is Brazil`s only current F1 driver. "We`ve always had successful Brazilian drivers in Formula One," he said. "And I think it`s important. It`s really a shame what`s happened in the last few years. I`m now the only Brazilian driver in F1 and I still haven`t got a contract for next year. It would be a big loss for Brazil if I`m not driving, or if another Brazilian driver isn`t racing. "I hope I can still be here and still fight for my country. But this is a problem that started a long time ago. "When I moved to Europe from Brazil in 2000, in every category in Europe there was a Brazilian fighting for the championship. "All the important categories were full of Brazilians. We even had a team in Formula 3000. "Now Brazil is not in any category. You don`t see Brazilians fighting for championships anymore." Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado`s impending departure from Williams is set to allow Massa to switch to the British team next year. Williams are expected to gain more from sponsorship from Brazil if they complete a deal with Massa, but he emphasised that does not mean he is to become a `pay driver`. "In Formula One, I have always been a professional. I`ve always had my salary. I`ve never brought money to race. Nothing is changing on that," said Massa. "I won`t sign or talk with a team if the first thing we talk about is sponsors. It doesn`t mean I won`t help find sponsors, but it must be in a professional way."