Felipe Massa has his eyes firmly set on the vacant Lotus seat after announcing his departure from Ferrari, and since the announcement was made that Kimi Raikkonen will take his place at Ferrari.

Massa has confirmed that he is in negotiations with Lotus for the race seat.

The possibility of a straight swop seems very enticing from many angles and it will be very interesting to see how Massa would perform at Lotus.

Massa told Globo Esporte that Lotus appeals to him as the most competitive option remaining on the 2014 F1 grid.

“We are negotiating,” he told the publication. “In my opinion, Lotus has a competitive car, which is what I want. We are having many conversations to try to find a way, not only for me but for Lotus, to continue with a good car.”

Massa revealed he has also been in talks with McLaren but said he that Lotus is still his best option. “I’ve had contact with McLaren but I cannot judge, it’s hard to say,” he said. “With Lotus, the contact was very good,” Massa added.

Nicholas Todt, Massa’s manager, last week told Canal Plus that Massa is determined to drive for a competitive team next year.

“He never would go to a smaller team to be second driver,” Todt said. “We need to find a car that can challenge at the front in F1. The best place available is undoubtedly the one left by Raikkonen at Lotus.”

Eric Boullier last week confirmed that Lotus is in talks with a number of drivers about the 2014 season and that Lotus will make their decision “shortly”.