The Brazilian driver, second in the 2008 championship with Ferrari, claims the result
“There was a rigged race,” he commented, referring to the 2008 ‘Crashgate’
Fifteen years have passed since the 2008 Formula 1 championship that Lewis Hamilton ended up taking with his McLaren. The first for the Briton, today a seven-time champion, was very agonizing: by 38 seconds Felipe Massa was the one who kept the crown. Hamilton’s overtaking of Glock in that last corner at Interlagos ended up giving the trophy to the current Mercedes driver.
Yes indeed, Massa continues to assert that 2008 was his year. And that the trophy, without regard, It was ‘stolen’ from him due to a situation involving Fernando Alonsowhen Renault took the Singapore GP in what later became known as ‘Crashgate’: his teammate, Nelson Piquet Jr, He crashed on purpose so that the Spaniard would win the race.
“I was robbed, for sure. It was a perfect championship, which ended by one point at Interlagos. But later we saw that there was a rigged race (Singapore), and the result should have been cancelled. They didn’t do it because they didn’t want to destroy the name of F1. Bernie Ecclestone said in an interview that the 2008 championship is mine for him and that the race in Singapore should be cancelled. They didn’t do it and they knew about the manipulation in 2008,” Massa commented in an interview with ‘Infobae’.
“We are going to fight until the end because What happened was not fair for the sport, for me, for my country, for the fans, for Ferrari. We have to work for justice in sports. We will see the response they give us (FIA and FOM) and if we are going to go to court or a tribunal, that is something we have to decide,” Felipe added.
Furthermore, Massa was in charge of stating that he is not looking to get rich: “Surely in the fight there is money to claim. But I base the claim on the championship. The trophy is the most important thing for me“.