The entire motorsport world is waiting to see what will come out of the Royal Court of Justice in London. It is there that Felipe Massa has submitted his claim to the FIA, FOM, citing Bernie Ecclestone, and Formula 1 itself, seeking recognition as the 2008 world champion and compensation of approximately 73 million euros.
The Brazilian’s claim is mainly based on the much-discussed 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, where he argues he suffered significant damage. The same event is also cited by the opposing side, as errors occurred on their part during that dramatic pit stop.
In his first statements, still related to the preliminary hearing, the former Ferrari driver recalled the episodes from those years that led him to fight for the title until the very last race against Lewis Hamilton. The Briton won his first crown after the legendary overtake on Timo Glock, at a moment when Felipe Massa’s pit wall had already erupted with joy. The video of those moments has since become part of Formula 1 history.
The São Paulo driver insists that he is the real champion of that season, and to support his argument, he has highlighted key points in his relationship with Fernando Alonso: “Ferrari asked me to apologize to him,” the Brazilian explained in statements collected by Motor Sport Magazine. This is not out of nowhere, as the Asturian was also a central figure that season, albeit unintentionally.
The 2008 runner-up was very vocal about Alonso in those years. Felipe Massa claimed that Fernando Alonso knew every detail of Crashgate in 2008, even though he never managed to prove it and investigations consistently dismissed any involvement. The finger was pointed more at the Renault team, led by Flavio Briatore, and of course at Nelson Piquet Jr. Alonso benefited from that result, but Massa always went further. Without proof, of course.
Later, the two would become teammates, and according to Felipe Massa, Ferrari asked him to apologize to Alonso, which the Brazilian did not like and therefore refused: “At that moment I understood that Ferrari had hired Alonso. They sent me a statement saying I should apologize to him. I refused.”
The relationship between the two-time Spanish champion and Massa has always been fluctuating. It experienced tense moments, such as the resolution in Europe 2007 and Fernando Alonso’s complaints about Ferrari’s borderline defensive maneuvers.
Historically, Fernando Alonso dominated 58-19 in qualifying sessions and a crushing 58-6 in races. Many still remember messages like “Fernando is faster than you” to let Alonso pass in races or Felipe Massa’s excellent work in the 2012 Interlagos race where they nearly clinched the championship ahead of Vettel and Red Bull. Now we will see what happens in the British courtroom and whether Massa will succeed regarding the events of Singapore 2008.
Leave a Reply