"Felipe Massa is the 2008 F1 champion": Ferrari icon's honest opinion on Lewis Hamilton's first title triumph 

Gino Rosato, a former long-time member of the Scuderia Ferrari squad, delivered his take on Lewis Hamilton's first title victory in 2008. Felipe Massa had won the title that season initially, but his fate changed a few seconds later.

Hamilton, who had been a contender for the title as well, needed only a P5 finish to outscore Massa. The latter won the race, and the entire Ferrari garage began celebrating. But out on the track, Hamilton managed to make a crucial final move, which put him on P5 and gave him a point's lead on Massa in the championship standings.

Looking back at that fateful day, Gino Rosato, who could be seen celebrating the title win that day, shared that no one completely recovered from what happened that day.

"You had never been defeated in that way," he said. "But I always said that was the final straw of the Empire. That day there, it took us quite a while to recover. I mean, never recovered. It was the way things go, you got accepted, but Stefano [Domenicali] was the team principal. The Empire, the last great Emperor dropped there in my head."

Rosato also claimed that Felipe Massa was the champion for him, even after all these years.

"We never got back on our feet. It is what it is, and it's a long time ago, but Felipe, in my head, is the 2008 world champion."

The title slipped away from Massa's hands forever that day. He never came close to winning it again. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton began a domination with Mercedes, winning six titles and breaking many records. He also moved to Ferrari earlier this season in a hyped move; however, the results haven't been promising so far.

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Former Ferrari team principal hopeful for Lewis Hamilton despite poor performances

Lewis Hamilton has had a series of disappointing finishes with Ferrari so far in the 2025 season. It was earlier thought to be an issue with the car and adaptability; however, Charles Leclerc has managed to clinch four podiums and a pole position in the same car.

He was especially disappointed during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, after an early exit from qualifying. Hamilton was also noted to be self-critical, stating that the team needed to change the driver.

However, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who served as Ferrari's team principal back in the day, has an optimistic approach for Lewis Hamilton. He mentioned the driver's eighth title, claiming that he will be ever stronger in the second half of the current season.

"First of all, Lewis is a jewel, he is an incredible athlete, so no matter if it is a difficult moment, he will react, and I’m pretty sure he will show the reason why he is here," he told Sky Sports.

"He wants to achieve his eighth title, and he will triumph again. So, stay with Lewis and he will do a great race, and be very, very strong after the summer [break]."

Despite Lewis Hamilton's performances, Ferrari stands in second place in the Constructors' Championship. The team is in battle with Mercedes with a narrow margin, but neither of the teams has been very consistent this season. McLaren leads the championship with more than double Ferrari's points.