Felipe Massa has played down reports that he is definitely cancelling his retirement plans in order to stay at Williams for 2017.

Amid Mercedes's mad rush to replace its suddenly-departed world champion Nico Rosberg, it is reported that Williams has now agreed to release Valtteri Bottas, but only on the condition that the experienced Massa comes back.

Mercedes's Niki Lauda, for one, thinks Massa is ripe for a comeback.

"My question is this - didn't Massa cry in Brazil?" he said on Austrian Servus TV.

"His wife and child embraced him, the whole nation was crying, so I ask - why did he cry? When you stop, you laugh! I'll call him and ask him."

However, Massa told Brazil's Globo by phone while holidaying that nothing is decided.

"I have nothing to say," he insisted. "I'm very calm here and don't want to participate in [the speculation]. Everything that has been said so far is not official."

Yet the reports about Massa's return are specific, with Italian television Sky saying the new Williams deal is for €6m (£5m).

Massa finished 2016 in 11th place in the driver rankings.