OXFORD, England (AP) - Austrian driver Alex Wurz retired from Formula One racing on Monday and will miss the final race of the season.

The 33-year-old Williams driver said he had been considering retirement since the beginning of the year.

"In such a hard fought environment as Formula One, I have always maintained that if you have a moment's doubt about what you are doing, then it is time to stop," Wurz said in a statement.

Wurz raced 16 times for Williams this season, finishing third at the Canadian Grand Prix on June 10. He is 11th in the driver's standings with 13 points.

A replacement driver for the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix on Oct. 21 will be announced Tuesday.

Wurz finished 12th in Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix. Williams' other driver, Nico Roseberg, finished 16th and is in ninth place in the season standings with 15 points.

Wurz made his F1 debut in 1997, driving in three races for Benetton and making his first podium at the British Grand Prix, where he finished third.

He spent the next three years as a full-time driver for Benetton before joining McLaren as a test driver, a role he had until 2005, when he finished third in his only race in San Marino.

Wurz had joined Williams in 2006 as a test driver.

Wurz said he would like to work in F1 in the future, and may also race at Le Mans or other categories as well as working on improving road safety.

Williams team chief Frank Williams said Wurz had provided an invaluable contribution to the team.

"Alex is well known, immensely popular and widely regarded as one of Formula One's gentlemen," Williams said.