Massa’s Lawyers Have Issued An Update On 2008 F1 Title Quest

Posted on October 14, 2023 | by Charley Williams Make a cup of tea, settle down and marvel at what we still think is one of the strangest stories to come out of this year. We’re sure you know by now, but Felipe Massa believes he is the rightful owner of the 2008 F1 championship, and his lawyers have issued a somewhat surprising update ????  But first, let’s catch you up – that cup of tea we mentioned, you’ll need it. This whole thing was prompted by Bernie Ecclestone’s reported comments on the 2008 Singapore GP, where Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed to bring out the safety car and help his Renault teammate, Fernando Alonso, win the race. Or, as what is now known as ‘Crashgate.’ The ex-F1 boss was quoted as saying earlier this year that he and then FIA president Max Mosley knew of the situation but decided not to act on it to protect the sport’s integrity. This is where Massa comes in. He believes that had the race been cancelled like Ecclestone suggested, it effectively would have never happened, meaning no points would’ve been handed out, and Massa would have become the 2008 world champion instead of Hamilton. Back in August, a letter was sent from Massa’s legal team to F1 and the FIA seeking compensation for the ‘conspiracy’ that denied him the title. Now, Bernardo Viana, his lawyer, has issued a statement to The Athletic with an update on the case, particularly in response to granting FIA and FOM more time to complete their investigation. “FIA and FOM are completing an internal investigation and have requested one last extension to the deadline they initially asked for, from October 12th to November 15th. “We have agreed to this final period because if the new administration is indeed looking into the matter in good faith, they will certainly reach the same conclusion we and so many people around the world have. “We would like to know what Formula 1’s new leadership’s position is on the recently disclosed scandal and the injustice faced by Felipe Massa.” Logically, the more likely outcome of the 2008 Singapore GP results being reviewed would be that Renault themselves would be disqualified and, therefore, the championship outcome would stay unchanged. We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to hear F1’s findings! ????