Felipe Massa could put his retirement from Formula 1 on hold for another year as it's believed Williams have approached the Brazilian about rejoining the team in response to Mercedes' approach for Valtteri Bottas.
Mercedes are currently seeking a replacement for Nico Rosberg and believe Bottas would be a good fit for the team as he's proven to be quick and is unlikely to upset Lewis Hamilton.
However he is currently contracted to Williams and it's believed incoming driver Lance Stroll has a contractual clause which promises a competitive and experienced team-mate.
Deputy team principal Claire Williams admitted on Thursday that they would be open to letting Bottas leave if it were to benefit the team – likely referring to financial compensation from Mercedes – and had a experienced driver lined up to replace him.
That could see Massa, who Williams are believed to have opened preliminary discussions with, put on hold his retirement.
"I'm delighted to see that a team like Mercedes lists Valtteri as a potential replacement for Nico," Williams told BBC Sport.
"However, Williams has its own ambitions and we must always ensure we give our team the best opportunity to move forward. Any changes would only be made if Williams remains in a strong position to compete and develop in 2017.
"If we did allow Valtteri to leave, we would only do this if an experienced, credible alternative was available, such as someone like Felipe Massa, for example."
She added: "Whatever we decide, it must be in the best interests of this team."
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