In his farewell to Ferrari, Massa recalls his best and worst moments.

By Tatiana Ramil

SAO PAULO, Nov 21 (Reuters) - After eight years at Ferrari, Felipe Massa bids farewell to the Italian team on Sunday at the Brazilian Grand Prix with mixed feelings, recalling the best and worst moments of his time with the team, and expressing optimism about continuing his career at Williams.

Massa cited his best moment at Ferrari as his victory at Interlagos in 2006, the first by a Brazilian driver at home since Ayrton Senna in 1993. He was wearing a green and yellow racing suit and finished his first year with the team well.

"It was the happiest moment, it's very important for a Brazilian to win here," he said in a press conference at the São Paulo circuit on Thursday. "Winning in 2006, in my first year with Ferrari, was definitely the most incredible race of my life."

Massa also won at home in 2008, but this time the taste was bitter, as he lost the title to Briton Lewis Hamilton by just one point after that race. "I didn't lose (the championship) here, it was before," he explained.

The worst moment, apart from the near-fatal accident in Hungary in 2009, where he was hit in the head by a piece that came loose from Rubens Barrichello's car, is on the tip of his tongue: "The race at Hockenheim in 2010."

The German Grand Prix three years ago was marked by Ferrari's order for Massa to let his teammate Fernando Alonso pass. The Brazilian was leading the race and, with only a few laps to go, almost stopped on the track to let the Spaniard overtake him.

The phrase the team used when making the request to Massa at the time became famous. "Fernando is faster than you," the voice repeated on the Brazilian's radio.

Massa achieved a total of 11 victories with the Italian team, the last of which was in 2008. In 2013, he only reached the podium once, finishing third in Spain, and ended up being replaced in the team by the 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen, who was at Lotus and will be Alonso's teammate from next year.

"We had a good time together, I have no regrets," said Massa. "I only have gratitude for everyone at Ferrari, I've always been a fan of the team, since I was little."

The 32-year-old Brazilian will drive for Williams starting in 2014. Despite the English team's poor performance, with only five points in the constructors' championship, he is hopeful for the coming seasons, as there will be several changes to the regulations.

"It's a fresh start for me. I still have a lot to do in Formula 1. Everything is changing and it's a good time to start again. They believed in me and anything is possible."