Felipe Massa, former F1 driver, joins Leonardo Di Caprio’s Formula E team

Felipe Massa has signed a three-year deal with Formula E outfit Venturi, who were co-founded by Hollywood star Leonardo Di Caprio.

The Brazilian stepped away from Formula One at the end of last season, having started out in 2002 at Sauber and gone on to enjoy spells with Ferrari and Williams.

Massa has made no secret of his desire to be a part of the electric series and will officially start with the Monaco-based team from the 2018-19 season.

“I’m very happy to be joining the Venturi Formula E team and the Formula E championship, which has become a magnificent competition in such a short space of time,” Massa said.

“For some years now, I’ve been clear about my interest in this innovative, forward-looking discipline that’s developing exponentially.

“I especially like the format of race meetings, the city-centre circuits and the contact with the fans. I can’t wait to take part in testing at the end of the month.

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“Gildo [Pastor, president] has always been a step ahead when it comes to high performance electricity vehicles. The team is in a phase of growth and development.

“I’ll do everything I can to contribute to the project and hopefully I’ll be among the front runners.”