He does not have to stop racing, hell, he could race Ferrari's in GT3. Or maybe something like Le Mans prototypes. He does not have to stop racing and put his tail between his legs. People need to stop feeling bad for him. He has enjoyed more success than the average F1 driver.
We brazilians had the two titles by Fitipaldi, the three by Piquet, and other three more by Senna's hands. So, people here usually only cares about F1 when you talk about car races.
In 2012 we had our first win in the Nascar Series with Piquet Jr. This week we had
the first brazilian victory in the DTM with Augusto Farfus, and know what? I't sad, but nobody gives a single fuck about it. So, for the ordinary brazilian spectator, getting out of F1 is something to be ashamed of.
Take Barrichello as an example: he's clearly not happy in Indy. He keeps saying that he wishes to go back to F1. Recently
he signed a contract for the three final races of the Stock Car Series here in Brazil, wich is the biggest south american racing series, full of ex-F1 drivers, full of young and talented people, and because of that, people is already saying that it's time to race in Stock Car and then retire. Dafuq, the guy is not a kid anymore, but he has the will, the talent, he loves to be racing, but people keep saying that this is the end of line. It's a cultural problem, in fact. There's this pressure to go to the Formula 1 and be the new Senna, win titles, and if you don't, you're a failure. Lot's of people here don't like Barrichello, just like a lot of people here are now bashing Massa for the same reasons.