formula 1
Massa’s title fight after 15 years: The Singapore aftermath
Felipe Massa wants to challenge Hamilton’s 2008 world title because of the Singapore accident scandal. photo
© Frank May/dpa
It starts in Singapore. A decade and a half after Crashgate, Felipe Massa wants to challenge the outcome of the 2008 World Cup. His former German teammate would even benefit.
The Massa side is even hoping for support from the 38-year-old Brit. Probably in vain. “I don’t look at what happened 15 or even two years ago,” said Hamilton now in Singapore and therefore at the scene of the event.
Massa had lost the 2008 World Cup in the drama finale in São Paulo practically at the last second, when Hamilton overtook the German Timo Glock and ended up with one point more than Massa. That is one big story of the 2008 World Cup. The other is and remains Singapore and the deliberate accident of the then Renault driver Nelson Piquet Junior on September 28, 2008 at the Formula 1 premiere in the city state.
The thing with the tank trunk
Massa had taken pole and was leading the race. But Fernando Alonso, Piquet’s team-mate at the time, secured victory. He benefited the most from the safety car phase. Massa, who initially led the race, didn’t do that at all. While refueling – still allowed at the time – the traffic light turned green, Massa drove off, but the tank nozzle was still in the Ferrari, half the system was swept away, a mechanic was injured and Massa had to stop his car at the end of the pit lane so that the crew that had rushed over could come with him combined forces were able to remove the wedged tank trunk again.
He also received a drive-through penalty and finished the race in 13th place – without any points. Hamilton finished third behind Alonso and Nico Rosberg and went into the last three races of the season with a seven point lead. Back then there were only ten points for a win instead of 25 like now. Massa had won the final at home in São Paulo and was able to feel like world champion for a few seconds before Hamilton overtook Glock and came fifth to save a one-point lead. His first of now – like Schumacher – seven titles.
Will it stay that way? “The goal is to bring the trophy home,” one of Massa’s lawyers recently told motorsport.com. It’s not about finances, he assured.
Ecclestone doesn’t give Massa any hope
“The race is over. The World Cup is over,” said Bernie Ecclestone in an interview with the German Press Agency. “No one can do anything,” said the 92-year-old former long-term managing director of Formula 1. Ecclestone was also in office that year. And the Brit, who had often caused controversy, once again admitted that he was aware of the fictitious accident before the end of the season. He had already said this on the “f1-insider.com” portal in March.
In the dpa interview he also said that the then world association president Max Mosley and the then race director Charlie Whiting knew about it. Both have already died, Mosley in May 2021, Whiting in March 2019. Whiting had already admitted in interviews for a documentary according to “motorsport.com” that he found out about it at the season finale in Brazil.
If so, the FIA could have done something back then, said Ecclestone, but not himself – the FIA is responsible for the rules and compliance with them. Ecclestone was in charge of commercial affairs. The Briton found that because such an incident had not yet occurred, it would have meant a fairly lengthy process. And he also emphasized that the race couldn’t simply have been canceled. In addition, there are always incidents in which drivers do not follow the rules. Ecclestone believes Massa is likely being misled by his lawyers.
The former Ferrari driver is still waiting for a reaction from Formula 1 and the FIA. Upon request, the world association confirmed a letter from Massa’s representatives. The matter is currently being investigated and there is no further information at this time. Depending on the answer, Massa and his lawyers want to challenge the 2008 World Cup in the High Court in London.