The reason Felipe Massa claimed the title in 2008: It was the ‘Crashgate’ scandal

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Felipe Massa He surprised everyone by making sure when, in statements for ‘Motorsport.com’, he confirmed that he wants to challenge for the 2008 title he achieved hamilton for what happened to F1 Singapore GP of that year, played on September 28, 2008, a day that remained forever in the history books of the category because of the controversy that erupted over the so-called ‘Crashgate‘.

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What happened at the 2008 F1 Singapore GP?

He 2008 Singapore Grand Prix This is the 15th race out of a total of 18. The World Cup is red hot and it will be decided in the final tests. Hamilton and Massa they were separated by only one point before the dispute on that date. This is the first Night Grand Prix in F1 historybut he will be remembered for something else: the famous ‘Crashgate‘.

Massa was the leader after the start. Meanwhile, Alonso, with his Renault R28 in his comeback year with the French team after a controversial 2007 with McLaren and Hamilton, was far from victorious. Fernando Alonso chose to stop in the pits before everyone else, surprising his choice, because he stopped on lap 12. And after a few turns, on lap 17, his teammate Nelsinho Piquet crashed into the wall which caused the entry of safety vehicle.

Back then, the pit lane didn’t open until all the cars were regrouped. When the pit lane opened, everyone stopped taking advantage of that situation and Alonso was first.

Felipe Massa also stopped, leaving the lead in the hands of the Spaniard. The Brazilian was very unlucky in that pit stop. The Ferrari electronic traffic light that should indicate when it should resume the march after its pit stop He turned on his green light early. That mistake caused Massa to accelerate with the fuel hose attached (even filled up with gas at the pit stops) and in that act he dragged a mechanic.

Ferrari mechanics had to run to the car at the end of the pit lane to unhook the hose and Massa lost all chance of victory and race points. At the end of that World Cup, Massa lost the title by just one point at Brazil 2008, in one of the most exciting finishes in F1 history in living memory. If on that day the Ferrari electronic traffic light did not fail, the title may be his.

Finally, Alonso will not relinquish the first position in Singapore that he achieved thanks to the fact that he stopped before and it all went to the pits after the accident of his teammate ‘Nelsinho’ Piquet. managed like this Renault’s first victory in two years over Rosberg (2nd) and Hamilton (3rd).

That stop that doomed Massa might not have happened without Piquet’s accident. But what Massa complains about is another reality: He wanted to ask for that 2008 F1 Singapore GP to be canceled for what he learned later. There was a scandal.

Renault threw Piquet and said it all

On Monday August 3, 2009, halfway through the 2009 F1 season, Flavio Briatore announced that he would be offering the services of Nelson Piquet Jr., posting only a best 10th place finish in 10 races that year. then, Nelson Piquet took revenge and denounced Renault for what happened in Singapore 2008. He made sure of that the French team asked him to crash in Singapore on purpose so that Alonso could win that Grand Prix.

The FIA ​​assured him immunity if he told everything and let him continue racing in exchange for his confession. That released ‘Crashgate’. Renault denied everythingbut the FIA ​​investigated the case and found enough evidence pointing to the scandal. That ended in the ouster from F1 of then team principal, Flavio Briatore, and chief engineer, Pat Symonds. They also wanted to knock Renault out of the championship, but that didn’t work and in the end they did fined 5 million euros.

Fernando Alonso was not allowed, because the FIA, after its thorough investigation, decided that the Spaniard did not participate in that plan.

The FIA ​​did not penalize either of the two Renault drivers (Piquet and Alonso), nor was the result of that Grand Prix annulled. Had he not been in the championship, Felipe Massa would have won the title. The result was taken into account and Hamilton took the crown in the last round.

Why did Massa file a complaint after 15 years?

Felipe Massa himself assured that, after reviewing what happened the same year with Ferrari’s lawyers, chose not to take legal action because he believes that F1 regulations prevent the champion from being replaced by a course once the crown has been awarded. But the recent the statements made by the then head honcho of F1, Bernie Ecclestone, completely change the scenario because they made it clear that the FIA ​​knew what happened in 2008, before the end of the championship, and they decided not to do anything so as not to tarnish the name of the competition.

Ecclestone believes the title should have gone to Massa

“We decided to do nothing. We wanted to protect the sport and save it from a big scandal. Back then, there was a rule that the rank of a world champion could not be touched after the FIA ​​award ceremony at the end of the year. So Hamilton handed the cup and everything went well,” Ecclestone said.

“We have enough information at that time to investigate the matter,” he clarified, making sure that the crown should go to Massa: “According to the laws, we should have canceled the race in Singapore under those conditions. That means there will be no impact on the championship standings. And Felipe Massa became the world champion and not Lewis Hamilton.”

“Massa was cheated and didn’t get the title he deserved, while Hamilton had all the luck in the world and won his first championship.”finished

Massa said

“There is a rule that says that when a championship is decided, from the moment the driver receives the championship trophy, things cannot be changed. But it was shown that there was theft. At the time, Ferrari’s lawyers said to me about this rule, we went to other lawyers and the answer was that nothing could be done. Logically, I believed in that situation,” said Felipe about the reason why he did not take legal action during his time.

“And 15 years later, we heard that the then owner of the category (Ecclestone) spoke that he knew this in 2008, along with the president of the FIA, and they did nothing to not tarnish the name of F1. It is very sad. Knowing that something was stolen from you, that the result of that race had to be annulled and I would have a title. In the end, the biggest loser in that result was me,” he said.

As a result, Massa asked for the result of the 2008 F1 Singapore GP to be annulled, which would have left Fernando Alonso winless in the 32 he now has (he would have 31) and hand the crown to the Brazilian. He says he doesn’t want money, he just wants “justice”: “I don’t know if it is possible to split a title (share it with Hamilton). If that race is shown to have been stolen, you have to annul it, that’s fair.” Massa is now studying whether to take legal action challenge that result and the 2008 title.

Source: La Verdad

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