Former F1 driver,Felipe Massa is considering taking legal action to challenge the outcome of the 2008 F1 World Driver's Championship. Massa lost the championship to Lewis Hamilton by a single point, and recent comments from former F1 head Bernie Ecclestone suggest that the result of the championship may have been affected by a rule breach during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
During the Singapore Grand Prix, Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crashed his car, causing the safety car to be deployed, and enabling his Renault teammate, Fernando Alonso, to win the race. The incident had a significant impact on the championship fight between Massa and Hamilton. Although Massa called for the race to be cancelled, the FIA decided to keep the results, which resulted in Massa losing the championship to Hamilton.
Ecclestone's recent comments suggest that he and the FIA were aware of the rule breach before the end of the 2008 season, which could have allowed them to change the outcome of the race. In an interview, Ecclestone stated that he knew about the situation but did not take any action, explaining that "We wanted to protect the sport and save it from a huge scandal. That's why I used angelic tongues to persuade my former driver Nelson Piquet to keep calm for the time being."
Ecclestone also revealed that there was a rule at the time that made the world championship classification untouchable after the FIA awards ceremony. As a result, Hamilton was awarded the championship trophy, and the matter was considered to be resolved. However, Ecclestone indicated that there was sufficient information at the time to investigate the incident and that, according to the statutes, the race should have been cancelled, resulting in Massa becoming the world champion instead of Hamilton.
Massa was intrigued by Ecclestone's comments and wants to explore whether he has any legal grounds to challenge the championship outcome. "This is very sad, to know the result of this race was supposed to be cancelled, and I would have a title. In the end, I was the one who lost the most with this result. So, we are going after it to understand all this," said Massa.
The 2008 season is long over, but Massa's pursuit of justice continues. The F1 community is following this situation closely, and it remains to be seen if Massa will be successful in his efforts to challenge the championship outcome.
The controversy surrounding the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, known as the "crashgate" scandal, has been a point of contention in the F1 community for many years. Massa's pursuit of justice in this matter highlights the importance of maintaining integrity in sports and ensuring that fair play is upheld at all times. If Massa is successful in his legal challenge, it could set a precedent for other athletes to pursue justice when they believe that the outcome of a competition has been influenced unfairly.
Comments