Felipe Massa has raised concerns about Brazil's presence in Formula One as he fights for his own survival.
The Ferrari driver is the sole Brazilian on this year's grid and could also be the last for a while should he fail in his bid to land a new team for next season.
With Massa's future uncertain and none of his compatriots rumoured to be in the running for 2014, Brazil faces a bleak future.
"I think it is very important," Massa told Autosport regarding the value of having a Brazilian racing in F1.
"We've always had successful Brazilian drivers in Formula 1. It's really a shame what's happened in the last few years.
"I'm now the only Brazilian driver in Formula 1 and I still haven't got a contract for next year.
"It would be a big loss for Brazil if I'm not driving, or if another Brazilian driver isn't racing.
"I hope I can still be here and still fight for my country."
The 11-time grand prix winner believes the problem doesn't rest with Formula One but rather with the junior categories as there are hardly any Brazilians coming through the ranks.
"It's a problem that started a long time ago," he said.
"When I moved to Europe from Brazil in 2000, in every category in Europe there was a Brazilian fighting for the championship.
"All the important categories were full of Brazilians. We even had a team in Formula 3000 [the Petrobras Junior Team run as a Super Nova offshoot].
"Now Brazil is not in any category. You don't see Brazilians fighting for championships anymore.
"At the moment Felipe Nasr is the only one who has a little chance to get to Formula 1.
"Apart from him, I don't see any others that have the talent and the opportunity."
