Former Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa is determined to take legal action to claim the 2008 F1 title that was awarded to Lewis Hamilton, who was driving for McLaren at the time. This news was first reported by Reuters in mid-August, revealing that Massa’s lawyers have initiated legal proceedings against F1 and the FIA with the aim of obtaining compensation for the title that Massa believes he was unjustly denied due to the infamous Crashgate incident at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Last week, Reuters provided further updates on the situation, citing comments made by Massa to Brazilian website GE. Massa expressed his intention to fight for the 2008 Formula One title, emphasizing that his battle is not against Hamilton personally but rather against the manipulation of the race results. Massa firmly believes that the outcome of the race was rigged, depriving him of the championship that year.
Back in 2008, Massa, driving for Ferrari, started the Singapore race on pole position and was leading when Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crashed his car on lap 14 to benefit his teammate, Fernando Alonso. Piquet Jr.’s crash was cleverly timed to coincide with an early pit stop made by Alonso. As a result, the safety car was deployed, prompting all other drivers to pit and inadvertently handing the lead to Alonso. Eventually, Alonso emerged triumphant, followed by Williams’ Nico Rosberg in second place and Hamilton in third.
During Massa’s pit stop, he left the box before the fuel hose had been removed, resulting in a penalty that dropped him to the back of the grid. Consequently, Massa finished the race in 13th position, earning no points. Hamilton ultimately clinched the season and his inaugural championship by a mere one point, leaving Massa to argue that the race should have been canceled due to the orchestrated crash.
The revelation that Bernie Ecclestone, the former chief of F1 at the time, and former FIA chief Max Mosley were aware of the deliberate crash in 2008 but failed to take action prompted Massa to seek legal advice. This followed an interview conducted earlier this year in which Ecclestone was quoted acknowledging his knowledge of the orchestrated incident. The issue was only formally investigated the following year after Piquet Jr., who had been fired by Renault, openly accused Renault’s top management of instructing him to crash. Renault chose not to dispute this allegation.
In a phone interview with Reuters, Ecclestone, now 92 years old, claimed that he could not recall making the key statements attributed to him. Massa, on the other hand, continued his Formula 1 career until 2017 despite a severe head injury sustained in a crash in 2009. Unfortunately, he was unable to secure another victory after the 2008 season.
Massa’s pursuit of justice and his determination to claim the 2008 Formula One title serve as a testament to his belief that fairness should prevail in the world of motorsport. While it may be a challenging legal battle, Massa’s resolve to contest the decision and seek the recognition he deserves underscores the significance of integrity and transparency within the sport.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the entire racing community awaits the outcome of Massa’s efforts to rectify a race that was tainted by manipulation and controversy. The ensuing developments in this case will undoubtedly shed further light on the Crashgate incident and potentially reshape the perception of past Formula One championships.
