Ex-F1 driver Massa considers legal action for 2008 F1 title win
Mar.4 - Felipe Massa admits he thought about privately suing Formula 1 authorities for the right to be declared world champion of 2008.
This week, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone stunned the sport by admitting that he knew about the 2008 'crashgate' scandal long before it became public a year later.
"Back then, there was a rule that a world championship classification was untouchable after the FIA awards ceremony at the end of the year," Ecclestone, 92, told f1-insider.com.
"So Hamilton was presented with the cup and everything was fine."
However, he admits that F1 bosses should actually have "cancelled" the results of the 2008 Singapore GP - which would have crowned Ferrari's Massa as champion rather than McLaren's Hamilton.
When asked for his reaction to the sensational revelation, the now 41-year-old Brazilian Massa told Corriere della Sera newspaper: "Bernie should have said it earlier, not now.
"But I've always said it - it was unacceptable. I spoke about it at the time with Ferrari and with the team's lawyers at Maranello and they told me that there was nothing they could do. There was no chance of winning.
Bernie Ecclestone and his partner Fabiana Flosi at the Silverstone Adidas Half Marathon in aid of Wings for Life UK, Silverstone, Great Britain
"But I have always thought, and I still think today, that if I had hired lawyers on my own and brought forward a case, the outcome would have been different," Massa added.
When asked if Ecclestone's new revelations might inspire him to consider once again to call some lawyers, the Brazilian answered: "What would change for me now?
"The story should have been resolved as soon as it became known with the correct methods of justice. In other sports, titles have been revoked when things like this have been discovered, so why not in F1?"
✅ Check out more posts with related topics:
Hes right, Athletes medals get taken away, so Yeah why not F1
Not much chance of that happening as it was above board fair and square, overtake on Glock for 5th place gaining the winning point how can you change that. 😎
Yeah I agree , 2021
I agree with Massa that this should have been dealt with at the time, Bernie is only saying it now because he's upset that hi mate Michael S isn't seen as being on the top spot of the most titles any more.
You can't change the past, this was nothing to do with Lewis or Mclaren as far as I'm aware, it was the cheating Renault team at the time.
Let it be and move on.
Yes and because they cheated, and the result stood Louise became WDC, so are you saying that result should stand?
As for cheating, don't forget cheating , involves lies usually and Lucy has done her fair share of lying to get the win, Australia 2009 springs to mind
Times moved on but the facts are the same
We must’nt forget that the great MS was a dirty driver and convicted cheat.Alonso won because of a cheat and Verstappen won because of a convicted cheat. Who else?
This has all gone down in history and permanently tarnished their reputations even if they (in some cases) weren’t directly responsible.
Is it all really significant in a so called sport that is trying singlehandedly to destroy the planet in its persuit of profit?
id never dare to take the Mick out of the 1st cpl of drivers, Michael brave to come back and in terms of fitness for f1 drivers , he took it to another level, Alonso is a Monster in any car and everyone in f1 knows that BUT, Dame Hamilton , I just cant help myself, if i was lewis id be begging Christian now to sign a contract , because unless the car improves, Nicoooo, No Christian Noooo, Er yeah Mick its Toto, wanna drive for us next race?, Loulou has done a Montoya