“I’m sorry for Massa”: Late confession clouds Hamilton’s first world title

“I’m sorry Massa”
Late confession clouds Hamilton’s first world title

By Till Erdenberger
04/05/2023, 3:30 p.m

Lewis Hamilton is one point ahead of Felipe Massa at the end of the 2008 Formula 1 season, it is the Briton’s first world title. Many years later, the then owner of the racing series revealed that he was informed early on about one of the biggest scandals in Formula 1 history. Enough time to make Massa world champion.

In 2008, Formula 1 experiences one of its most dramatic title decisions: At the last race in São Paulo, Brazil, the winner Felipe Massa has already crossed the finish line and is virtually world champion for a few seconds – until Lewis Hamilton overtakes the German Timo Glock in the last corner of the season, his Mercedes still on Third place, becoming world champion for the first time in his career. One point ahead of Massa.

Massa, who was Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari wingman for years, already thinks he’s world champion before Hamilton’s maneuver brings tears. It was drama. And the sad result of one of the biggest scandals in recent Formula 1 history. Massa could now have it rolled up again. With the possible result that Hamilton would have to fear for one of his seven world titles.

Because a few weeks before the bitter World Cup final for Massa, the “Crashgate” happened in Singapore. A cheat that cost Massa valuable points, gave Fernando Alonso a surprise win – and earned dazzling Renault team boss Flavio Briatore a two-year ban. In Singapore, the 15th of 18 World Championship races, Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. had his racing car – seemingly without reason – crashed into the wall was suddenly washed up to the front of the race in the inferior Renault and won.

Sports fraud with consequences

Massa’s Ferrari crew, completely taken by surprise, made a catastrophic pit stop: The fuel hose got stuck on Massa’s car when driving off and rearranged several mechanics, one later had to go to the hospital, the world championship leader was only able to drive out of the pit lane with a delay. Pole setter Massa only managed 13th place in the race and lost six decisive points to eventual world champion Hamilton.

A year later it became public: Piquet’s mishap was not a racing accident, but fraud – and those responsible knew about it! In 2009, after his forced departure from Renault, Piquet revealed on Brazilian television that he had come up with a plan with Briatore and race engineer Pat Symonds to scrap his own car in order to give Alonso a chance of victory.

The scandal had consequences for Symonds and Briatore, who were banned. However, the new findings did not have any influence on the World Championship standings: “At the time there was a rule that a World Championship standings after the FIA ​​award ceremony at the end of the year was untouchable,” said then-Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone in early March in an interview with “F1Insider”: “So Hamilton was presented with the World Cup and everything was fine.” The world motorsport governing body is indeed very strict in its jurisdiction, protests and appeals must be made within 14 days of the race – and no later than four days before the FIA’s title ceremony.

“There is a rule that says that once a championship is decided, from the moment the driver receives the world championship trophy, even if theft has been proven, things cannot be changed,” Massa said recently Interview with Motorsport.com. “At the time, Ferrari’s lawyers told me about this rule. We approached other lawyers and the answer was that there was nothing to be done. So, logically, I believed that.”

“We wanted to protect the sport”

However, a late confession from Ecclestone changes things for Massa. “The then FIA President Max Mosley and I were informed during the 2008 season of what had happened at the Singapore race. We had the information in good time to investigate the matter. According to the statutes we would have the Singapore race under but probably have to cancel these conditions,” revealed the 92-year-old now to F1Insider: “This means that it would never have happened for the World Cup classification. And then Felipe Massa would have become world champion and not Lewis Hamilton.” Instead, they decided “to do nothing for the time being. We wanted to protect the sport and protect it from a huge scandal. I still feel sorry for Massa today. He won the final at his home race in São Paulo and did everything right.”

Massa, who ended his career in 2017 with eleven Grand Prix victories but no world title, announced legal action now, 15 years later: “In the end, I was the one who lost the most with this result. So go let’s do it, to understand it all.” He himself assesses the chances of success of a possible protest as low, “there are rules and many things that, depending on the country, you can no longer contest after 15 years in order to solve a situation.” The rules of the world governing body are also very clear: Article 1.3.1b of the FIA’s International Sporting Code, under which all teams and drivers compete in the premier class, states that the participants “oblige themselves to comply unreservedly with the above provisions and the decisions of the sporting authority to submit and to bear the resulting consequences.”

And yet, “I think when you’re being punished for something that’s not your fault, and it’s the result of a robbery, a stolen race,” Massa said, “then justice must be served. Indeed it is right to annul the result of the race. That is the only justice that can be done in such a case.” He has not yet spoken about the case with his former employer Ferrari, who has been waiting for a world title since 2007.