Ferrari announces that it has taken up a renewable option in a contract that dates back to 2001, tying the driver Felipe Massa to the Scuderia. Therefore, the agreement means that Felipe will race for the team for the 2006 season.

Rubens Barrichello will leave the Scuderia at the end of the 2005 season, after a successful and rewarding collaboration that dates back to 2000 and has contributed, to date, to the winning of five Constructors’ World Championships.

"I am very happy and proud to be racing with Ferrari in 2006," Felipe says. "Maranello has believed in me since 2001, when I had yet to make my Formula 1 debut. Now, I am in my third season as a Sauber driver and I can also count on a year’s experience as a Ferrari test driver, an experience which helped me to grow a great deal.

"I feel ready for this new challenge, which is the best opportunity of my career. I am aware of the responsibility it places on me and I cannot wait to be part of a team like Ferrari, alongside the best driver in the world, Michael Schumacher. I wish to thank Peter Sauber for having had faith in me over these past three years. I will do my very best in the final six races of the season to get the best possible results for his team."