Formula-1
Hamilton to be stripped of title after 16 years? A terrible scandal in Formula 1
Lewis Hamilton / Photo: © Mark Thompson / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru
Felipe Massa is determined. The case has already reached the court.
The Formula 1 racing series has had many legendary moments that have influenced its history. For some they evoke pleasant memories and slight nostalgia. But there are also those who want to rewrite history to please themselves. One of them is Felipe Massa, a famous former Ferrari driver.
The Brazilian still cannot forgive himself for missing out on the championship. And I’m even ready to defend it… in a civil court!
Pique and Alonso staged the accident
The events that worry Massa took place at the Singapore Grand Prix in September 2008. Felipe was one of the leaders of the championship and had every chance of winning the title. He started the next race as number one, winning the qualification.
However, in the race itself everything went wrong. On the 14th lap, Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. (or Nelsinho) crashed his car and the safety car entered the track. Because of this, the leading Massa dropped to the back of the peloton after the 17th lap. Then he had problems at the pit stop: the Brazilian left the pits with a fuel hose and lost time waiting for the mechanics. For this, Felipe was also punished by driving through the pit lane.
All these manipulations led to the fact that the Ferrari leader was left without points at the end of the race. In the protocol he took only 13th place. Fernando Alonso from Renault won.
It later turned out that Nelsinho Pique deliberately arranged the accident to help Alonso rise from the bottom of qualifying. The trick worked – Fernando won. Massa lost precious points, which he did not have enough at the end of the season. At the end of the championship, the Brazilian scored 97 points and took second place. Champion Lewis Hamilton finished the season with 98 points.
Massa wants to sue up to 17 billion
That situation seriously angered Felipe Massa. Of course, without the collusion of his rivals, he definitely could have won! The driver has repeatedly expressed complaints against Formula 1, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and ex-director of the series Bernie Ecclestone. In many interviews, the Brazilian repeated that the championship was stolen from him, and it should be returned to its rightful owner.
The next round of confrontation began in 2023. Then Ecclestone publicly admitted that there had been a conspiracy between Pique and Alonso and took pity on Massa. According to the functionary, in 2008, the management of Formula 1 did not risk initiating an investigation, fearing reputational losses, and left the results of the Singapore Grand Prix in force.
In response, Massa launched into his usual tirade about the stolen championship, but did not stop there. The ex-racer hired lawyers who collected documents, prepared a lawsuit and sent it to the High Court in London. The application was accepted for processing on March 11.
— Massa seeks recognition that the FIA violated its rules by failing to promptly investigate the accident of Nelson Piquet Jr. If she had acted properly, Felipe would have won the championship in 2008. The mass is seeking compensation for the significant financial loss he suffered. Attempts to find a peaceful solution were unsuccessful, and Massa was left with no choice but to start legal proceedings, the lawyers said in a statement quoted by the Motorsport portal.
The lawsuit involves astronomical amounts. Massa wants to sue up to 150 million pounds (17 billion rubles). These figures include prize money, lost business income and emotional distress.
Felipe should calm down – there is no chance
There are just doubts about the successful resolution of the case. After all, the story has been going on for 16 years. Bernie Ecclestone and other high-ranking Formula 1 officials have repeatedly commented on it. It all comes down to the fact that there is no direct evidence that would incriminate Nelsinho Pique and Fernando Alonso.
Talk about that accident leads to Nelson Piquet Sr. – Nelsinho’s father and a Formula 1 legend in the eighties. Allegedly, he told the leaders of the championship about the conspiracy at Renault, and they decided to put the matter on the back burner. But no one provided any other worthwhile evidence. Even Ecclestone, who spoke about the conspiracy, later retracted his words.
Although the scandal was still very powerful. The main sponsors turned their backs on Renault, and the company left Formula 1. Nelsinho Pique ruined his reputation and left the “royal racing”. Stable managers Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds received multi-year disqualifications. The incident, called “Crashgate”, is still considered the largest fraud in the history of Formula.
Of course, I feel sorry for Felipe Massa. But his attempts to sue for the championship look stupid. Lewis Hamilton certainly did not participate in the conspiracy, and it is extremely unfair to take the title away from him. No one will cancel the results of the race, even though they are controversial, 16 years later.
Therefore, the Brazilian should calm down and accept his second place. It definitely won’t go away from him.
Source: Sportbox
I am a sports journalist who has written for a number of Sportish. I have a background in journalism and have been writing since I was young. My main focus is sports news, but I also write about general news. I am currently working as an author at Sportish.