"It was not fair what happened to me" - Felipe Massa opens up about the lawsuit that involves Lewis Hamilton's first title

Felipe Massa has spoken up for the first time since filing a legal case involving Lewis Hamilton's first title triumph in 2008. The Brazilian battled the British driver in 2008 for the title, which was decided in the last race of the season when Hamilton overtook Timo Glock on the last lap to secure the title by one point.

The title battle has, however, been under the scanner because of what happened at the 2008 F1 Singapore GP. A year later, in 2009, it was discovered that Renault boss Flavio Briatore had ordered his driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash at a particular moment in the race to help facilitate his teammate Fernando Alonso's win.

While Briatore and his deputy Pat Symonds were banned from the sport for some time, no action was taken when it came to removing the 2008 F1 Singapore GP from the championship. If the race was cancelled, the championship would change hands, as Felipe Massa did not score any points in the race, while Lewis Hamilton scored a podium.

The reasoning behind it was that since the incident came to light after the FIA award ceremony, the championship could not change hands. Almost 15 years later, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone kicked up a storm when he revealed to F1Insider that he knew about the Crashgate before the FIA gala.

Since the sport was already reeling from the SpyGate scandal, Bernie and Max Mosley decided not to pursue this. Once this came out in the open, Felipe Massa started a legal process that saw him file a case against the FOM, the FIA, and Ecclestone. The Brazilian was in the Formula-E paddock last weekend and was reached out by RacingNews365 to comment on the legal process.

The former Ferrari driver said that now the case was in the hands of his lawyers, and he had done his bit already. He said:

I think I’ve said everything I’m supposed to say about that. I said in the interviews, it’s something that we will fight until the end, and this is the only thing I can say, it does not depend on me anymore. It depends on the lawyers. We have a very, very good group of people, professional people working on that."

Massa added:

“I really believe that we have a bigger case and every possibility to win the case. But to be honest, it’s not on me anymore. The only thing I can say is that we are fighting for the justice, because it was not fair what happened to me. As I said, that’s the only thing I can say.”

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Felipe Massa not coming after Lewis Hamilton's 2008 F1 title

It is a misconception in the eyes of many that Felipe Massa was looking to take away Lewis Hamilton's 2008 F1 title. Going through what was reported by Autosport, this is not the case, as the Brazilian is not looking to strip the British driver.

Motorsport.com reported on the case that was filed by the Brazilian and stated:

"The court papers make no reference to seeking the removal of Lewis Hamilton’s maiden F1 title and awarding it to Massa. Instead, the court action is all about the damages that Massa suffered as a result of what he says were the wrong actions of the FIA and F1."

It adds:

"It outlines that Massa not only lost a €2 million (£1.7 million) bonus for not winning the championship, but it cost him in terms of the salary he could command in subsequent years – both in terms of as a driver and in other roles relating to F1 and motorsport – as well as sponsorship and commercial opportunities."

To add to this, Felipe Massa wants a declaration from the FIA that if it had not acted in breach of its own rules, Lewis Hamilton would not have been the title holder of the 2008 F1 championship. The report states:

"Beyond seeking financial compensation, Massa wants a declaration from the FIA that it acted in breach of its own regulations in failing to investigate the circumstances of the Singapore crash."

It adds:

"Furthermore, he wants a declaration that if the FIA had not acted in breach of its own rules, then it would have cancelled or adjusted the results of the Singapore race – which would have meant Massa would be champion."

Lewis Hamilton was part of an intense title battle with Felipe Massa in 2008. The British driver picked up six wins, while the Brazilian won seven races. It all came down to the last lap of the season to seal it in Hamilton's favor.

It is, however, interesting to see that not one but two title deciders involving Lewis Hamilton are contentious, as the 2021 F1 season finale is still fresh in the minds of many.