Felipe Massa has signed a deal with Ferrari ensuring he will stay at the Italian team until the end of the 2012 season.

The Brazilian said:

Throughout my entire Formula 1 career, I have always raced with an engine made in Maranello and it is a matter of pride for me to be able to continue working with a team that I regard as a second family.

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali added:

Felipe has been part of Ferrari for almost a decade and together with us, he has grown as a driver and as a man, going through some very difficult times as well as giving us moments of great happiness. We wanted to show proof of stability for the future, believing in the worth of a driver pairing that is without equal in terms of talent, speed and its ability to work together for the good of the team.

Massa tested for Ferrari in 2003, and joined them in a race seat in 2006, where he has taken 11 victories, 15 pole positions and 30 podiums in 69 races for the Scuderia.

The deal may come as a surprise to some, as Massa has seemed alarmingly off the pace of his teammate Fernando Alonso, but has clawed back the time in recent races. This deal has put an end to all of the speculation regarding the possibility of Nico Rosberg or Robert Kubica moving to the Scuderia, as the driver lineups in the big four teams seem secure for 2011.