2023-10-10 12:00:04
It’s been two months since Felipe Massa launched the process to be crowned 2008 Formula 1 World Champion, following Crashgate revealed in 2009: Renault had forced its driver Nelson Piquet Jr to crash to provoke an intervention by the safety car which would allow his teammate Fernando Alonso to triumph. Massa, for his part, had lost big by tearing off his refueling pipe during his pit stop.
The Brazilian thus reacts to Bernie Ecclestone’s revelations according to which the FIA and Formula One Management were aware of this scandal before the end of the 2008 season. His objective is therefore to have this race canceled, where his opponent Lewis Hamilton had scored six valuable points. His lawyers have therefore sent a letter of formal notice to the authorities of this sport, and this is only a first step. Motorsport.com took stock with the former pilot Ferrari.
Felipe, what is the current situation on your legal attempt to overturn the outcome of the 2008 championship?
We have sent the formal notice to the FIA and Formula 1, and we are awaiting a response to these letters until mid-October. So we take the time to decide what to do: sue or not.
Did discovering this plot change your love for F1?
No, I think it’s a question of justice: proving that sport is the most important. I love this sport, I live for F1, I love all categories of motorsport. But this is the most important: no to manipulation. Manipulation is not part of sport.
Everywhere I go – on the road, in airports, every place I go – people encourage me and tell me I can’t give up. Because that’s not part of sport. And that’s the most important thing. I do this for the justice of sport, I do this for the transparency of sport. And it is not acceptable that a manipulated race may have changed the outcome of the championship.
Felipe Massa (Ferrari) following his victory at the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix
Do any current or former Formula 1 players support you?
Of course I have support. But it’s really a very delicate situation. People don’t necessarily like to talk regarding it: they prefer to talk regarding it in private, rather than in the media. I understand perfectly. But that really doesn’t change anything in my fight for justice.
Did you go to Ferrari to try to get support?
To tell the truth, we discussed by letter, on the legal side, but I don’t see why Ferrari wouldn’t be on my side, because we lost the championship; They took away the championship from Ferrari and me. When we hear Toto Wolff [directeur de Mercedes AMG F1] talk regarding 2021 [où une erreur de la direction de course a très probablement fait perdre le titre à Lewis Hamilton, ndlr], Ferrari must do the same. Ferrari must fight for the good of the team, and I don’t see Ferrari looking away from the manipulation of which I was the victim.
So far, they haven’t really said, “OK, we’re together.” For the moment. I think they’re waiting to see what happens, but what I’m saying is I’m doing it for my country, I’m doing it for my fans, I’m doing it for me, I’m doing it for my family , I do it for Ferrari, I do it for the fans – the most incredible fans in F1, which are the Ferrari fans. So if Ferrari wants to join me, they are very welcome. Otherwise, I’m doing this for justice, and that’s the most important thing for me.
Felipe Massa and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) at the São Paulo Grand Prix 2022
Do you think the situation would have been the same if it had been HaMilton in your position and you in his?
I hope so. That’s definitely the most important thing: to show that no one is different. All F1 drivers must have the same opportunities to compete, regardless of their country of birth. So I really hope that’s not the case. Because if there is something like this, then the situation is very serious. I can’t really imagine that’s the reason, but what I can think is that people didn’t view me with respect. And I think that’s the most important thing: that everyone is respected. I’m not saying I’m not respected, but I think everyone should have the same respect.
You are close to Jean Todt, your team principal at Ferrari, who later became president of the FIA. What does he think of all this? Does he support you?
Of course, he always supports me in everything I do. He has always said, many times, that what happened in Singapore was not right. He was president of the FIA. When he came to the Stock Car race in Goiânia, he didn’t want to talk regarding the matter. He just said he supported me in everything I did. But I’m all alone on this matter. Finally, I decided to recruit my lawyers, we have lawyers from six different countries.
So I didn’t really launch this with Jean Todt, with [Stefano] Sundays [PDG de la Formule 1, ndlr], or with anyone. I set out for justice, for transparency in this sport. That’s where I’m going with this. Anyone who truly believes in me – I think most believe in me – can say or do whatever they want, but I believe that F1 has not been transparent regarding what happened to me, and we will fight to the end.
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