Despite a first corner incident which saw him eliminated early in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Felipe Massa has kicked off the next phase of his Formula 1 career with two thumbs up and declaring that his “days as a servant are over”.

Massa’s first thumbs up is for the end of the Ferrari era, where despite intense highs and the almost title-winning 2008 season, the 32-year-old also experienced some deep lows.

Asked by correspondent Nicola Pohl to describe what four years as Fernando Alonso’s water-carrier felt like, he answered: “I’ll tell you one thing. The time as a servant is over! Williams wants me to take a leadership role in the team.