Felipe Massa seeks justice after alleged 2008 F1 championship theft

Former Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa is considering taking legal action to contest the outcome of the 2008 championship, which he lost by one point to Lewis Hamilton. The decision to challenge the result has been influenced by recent comments made by Bernie Ecclestone regarding the controversial 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, where Nelson Piquet Jr.

Felipe Massa is considering the possibility of taking legal action to challenge the result of the 2008 Formula 1 World Championship, which he narrowly lost to Lewis Hamilton by a single point.

This decision was influenced by Bernie Ecclestone’s recent remarks regarding the controversial 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. During the race, Nelson Piquet Jr. intentionally crashed to bring out a safety car and assist his Renault teammate Fernando Alonso in securing victory.

The intentional crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix had a significant impact on the championship race, causing Felipe Massa to fall to 13th place and allowing Lewis Hamilton to secure third place. The scandal, known as “Crashgate,” became public knowledge the following year, leading to Renault being given a two-year suspended ban from Formula 1. The team’s boss, Flavio Briatore, and technical chief, Pat Symonds, also faced disciplinary action for their involvement in the incident.

When the scandal was first revealed, Felipe Massa was one of the drivers who demanded that the FIA cancel the result of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. However, the FIA’s International Sporting Code stipulated that the championship standings are final once the FIA Awards ceremony has taken place.

Bernie Ecclestone revealed that Max Mosley, who was the FIA President during the 2008 Formula 1 season, had knowledge of the situation but did not take any action.

Bernie Ecclestone stated in the same interview that the decision not to take action was made to protect the sport from a significant scandal. He claimed to have used his persuasive abilities to convince his former driver, Nelson Piquet Jr., to remain calm at the time. Additionally, Ecclestone noted that the regulations in place at the time stipulated that the championship standings were unchangeable after the FIA Awards ceremony at the end of the year. As a result, Lewis Hamilton was officially awarded the championship trophy, and the matter was considered settled.

Ecclestone went on to state that there was sufficient information available at the time to warrant an investigation. He believed that, according to the regulations, the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix should have been cancelled under those circumstances. This would have resulted in the race not being counted towards the championship standings, and Felipe Massa would have been declared the world champion instead of Lewis Hamilton.

Felipe Massa is currently evaluating whether he has legal options to pursue the matter further. Massa pointed out that there is a regulation in place stating that once a championship has been decided and the winning driver has received the championship trophy, the standings cannot be altered, even if foul play has been uncovered. He made these comments during an interview with Motorsport.com.

Massa revealed that he was made aware of the aforementioned regulation by Ferrari’s lawyers at the time. They consulted other lawyers, who confirmed that no action could be taken to overturn the result of the championship. Based on this information, Massa believed that there was nothing he could do to contest the outcome.

However, he has since been made aware of Bernie Ecclestone’s recent comments, which suggest that the FIA President at the time was aware of the situation in 2008 but chose not to take action to protect the reputation of Formula 1. This has prompted Massa to reconsider his options and explore whether there are legal grounds to challenge the championship result.

Massa expressed disappointment at the possibility that the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix result should have been cancelled and that he could have potentially won the championship. He stated that he was the one who suffered the most from this outcome. Despite the slim chances of overturning the result, Massa remains determined to explore all possible avenues to understand the situation fully and pursue legal action if possible. He believes that this matter deserves further investigation, and he is prepared to pursue it to the fullest extent possible.

Massa acknowledged that there are limitations regarding the ability to challenge the outcome of a championship after 15 years have passed. However, he plans to carefully examine the situation, including the applicable laws and regulations, to determine if any legal options are available to him. He understands the complexity of the situation and is prepared to explore all avenues to seek justice.

Massa emphasized that his pursuit of justice is not motivated by financial gain. He believes that if he was unfairly punished for an incident that was beyond his control, and the outcome of the race was determined by illegal means, justice needs to be served. Massa believes that the correct course of action would be to cancel the result of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, as it would be the only just outcome in a situation like this. He remains committed to the pursuit of justice and is willing to fight for it, regardless of the outcome.

Massa pointed out that other sports, such as cycling, have taken action to revoke titles and other accolades from athletes who have been found guilty of cheating or other improprieties. He believes that similar action should be taken in his case, given the circumstances surrounding the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

However, Massa’s legal options are limited due to the regulations outlined in the International Sporting Code. Protests cannot be made after a race, and requests for a review must be made within 14 days after the competition and four days prior to the date of the FIA’s prize-giving ceremony for that year. Despite these limitations, Massa remains committed to exploring all possible avenues to seek justice.

It is worth noting that the highest authority to make any ruling in such matters is the independent International Court of Appeal, according to the FIA. However, it is worth noting that Mercedes withdrew their challenge over the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix through this structure.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff commented on the situation at the time, stating that while the team believed that they had a strong case and would likely win if the matter were to be judged in a regular court, there was an inherent issue with the structure of the International Court of Appeal. Wolff stated that the FIA could not be expected to objectively assess the situation and provide justice in such cases.

Felipe Massa seeks justice after alleged 2008 F1 championship theft Felipe Massa seeks justice after alleged 2008 F1 championship theft Felipe Massa seeks justice after alleged 2008 F1 championship theft Felipe Massa seeks justice after alleged 2008 F1 championship theft

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