Ex-F1 ace Massa to race Formula E starting next season

Former Ferrari ace Felipe Massa has signed a three-year deal to race Formula E starting in the 2018-2019 season, his new Venturi team said on Tuesday. "Today I am starting a new phase in my career, I just signed with Venturi GP team to race next season," the 37-year-old Brazilian said on Twitter. Massa looked set to join Jaguar's E team before extending his Formula 1 contract with Williams to the end of 2017 when Valtteri Bottas joined Mercedes. "The contract between Felipe Massa and Venturi Formula E Team is for three years," said Venturi, owned by Monaco real estate magnate Gildo Pastor. "For some years now, I?ve been clear about my interest in this innovative, forward-looking discipline," Massa said. "I especially like the format of race meetings, the city-centre circuits and the contact with the fans," added Massa, who begins testing next month. "Gildo (Pastor) has always been a step ahead when it comes to high performance electricity vehicles." Massa raced Formula 1 for 15 years and was runner up in the world championship in 2008. In it's third season, there are now eleven Formula E races -- using fully electric cars -- in cities such as New York, Hong Kong and Paris. Felipe Massa is turning his back on Formula One