In Felipe Massa’s battle against the FIA over the “crashgate” of Singapore 2008, Jean Todt makes a significant move, and Ferrari remains silent. Perhaps it has gone somewhat unnoticed amid the heated controversies of recent days, pitting teams and Domenicali against the FIA, yet it is not a minor piece of news. Jean Todt aligns himself with the Brazilian driver, and he is not just anyone.
Not only was he the FIA president from 2009 to 2021 (and precisely for this reason, any statement in favor of the Brazilian should have raised considerable eyebrows), but he also had a long-standing association with Ferrari. At the time of the incident, he was only a member of Maranello’s board, but until a year before, he had served as the CEO of the prancing horse. Additionally, he was the general director of the Ferrari Scuderia (now referred to as the team principal) from 1993 to 2007.
It’s ironic that from 2008 to 2014, Stefano Domenicali led the team and not only does he refrain from commenting on the matter, but he has also fully rehabilitated Flavio Briatore, turning him into one of his most trusted collaborators in F1 from 2022. A sort of ambassador, as mentioned in the FOA statement, dealing with relations with certain promoters, existing and potential partners, and developing possible commercial and entertainment collaborations. History is full of peculiar twists, unexpected alliances, and unprecedented positions.
Jean Todt: Significant support for Felipe Massa’s cause
But let’s return to the French manager, currently away from F1 and serving as a special envoy for the United Nations on road safety. Essentially, Todt has advocated for Felipe’s battle, stating, “I won’t get into the controversy. It has been tough for him (Massa) psychologically. Perhaps we could have been tougher (Todt is likely referring to his role in Ferrari and later in the federation) when we learned about this story. There is no doubt that the Singapore Grand Prix was fixed and should have been canceled.”
Clear, even crystal-clear words that certainly don’t alter the fate of Massa’s ongoing legal battle with a team of lawyers versus the International Federation. Still, they undoubtedly mark a point in favor of Felipe. It’s worth noting that neither his former team (despite Felipe’s requests), nor his former team principal, nor the current FIA president Ben Sulayem have uttered a word on this contentious issue.
The legal battle is considered by almost all observers, journalists, and sports law experts to be very complicated, mainly because the only scenario in which Massa could theoretically obtain the world title “on paper” (rightfully awarded to Hamilton) would be the cancellation of the race. A scenario never seen in the history of F1, especially considering the consequences it would bring and likely open the Pandora’s box of endless appeals for other world titles.
In that GP, where it now seems established that Renault’s pit wall “orchestrated” Piquet Jr.’s crash to favor the entry of the Safety Car and Alonso’s victory (however, exonerated by the federation’s investigations), Lewis Hamilton finished third, earning six points.
By eliminating that placement, Massa (who finished 13th, out of the points and with the well-known incident at the fuel filler neck) would hypothetically be the champion with a five-point advantage over the Briton. Regardless of how the situation unfolds, Jean Todt’s “statement” certainly makes headlines.
