The 2008 Formula 1 season will go down as one of the most remarkable in the history of the sport. No, it’s not because of the 2021-esque season-long title battle between Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton that came down to the wire. While that was definitely a factor in making 2008 remarkable, it’s more because of the Crashgate controversy that unfolded at the Singapore GP—an incident that Massa believes cost him what could’ve been his first & only championship. In light of recent quotes by then-F1 owner Bernie Ecclestone, Massa realized that F1 practically stole the championship from him, and now, he’s working to claim what he thinks is rightfully his.

Following Ecclestone’s statements saying that he was aware of the wrongdoings in Singapore but didn’t take any action against it, Massa gathered a legal team and filed a $13 million lawsuit intending to claim the title from Hamilton. But could Massa be using this lawsuit just to hide his inability to claim the title on track?

Is the 2008 season haunting Felipe Massa with more than just Crashgate?

The Singapore GP was Round 15 of 18 that season. Yes, Crashgate allowed Hamilton in his McLaren to capitalize on what was happening on track to finish P3, and Massa ended up finishing outside the points. But the Ferrari driver had three more races to make the most of his opportunities but couldn’t. Unlike the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP—where the FIA’s decisions directly affected the championship result—Crashgate didn’t have the same consequences. 

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Discussing this on the Formula For Success podcast, David Coulthard asked Eddie Jordan what the endgame of this entire lawsuit charade would be. Jordan replied, “Nobody knows. He didn’t finish the race in the points, he didn’t score points. A number of incidents happened, and yes, there was blatant skullduggery. But the fact is, Massa had a very tough time because he also thought in Brazil that year that he was going to win the championship. Timo Glock was passed by Lewis at the very last corner of the last lap, which enabled Lewis to win the championship and take it away from the [Massa] family.”

The Irishman continued, “It was a very, very tough time. But what I find strange about this is that this must be eating up Felipe, who is a lovely man. It must be eating him up for the last 15 years for him to actually bring a case at this stage.” Although Ecclestone’s recent comments may have acted as a catalyst for the lawsuit, it’s not like Massa wouldn’t have been thinking about how he lost the title on track.

Amid Lewis Hamilton Rejecting Liability, Felipe Massa Accuses FIA of ‘Manipulation’ Over Crashgate Scandal

With this lawsuit, Massa believes he should not only claim the title but also get compensation for his reputational damage in the aftermath of 2008. To add to that, he had things to say about the punishment handed out to the accused.

Felipe Massa gives his views on the action taken after Crashgate

Crashgate might not have directly affected the championship result. But considering that Massa was leading the race when Nelson Piquet Jr. crashed and finished the race outside the points—and Hamilton finished P3—the Brazilian feels the incident inadvertently lost him the championship. While this is one of the premises of his beliefs to file the lawsuit, he looked back on the incident and expressed his disapproval for the measly punishment handed to Renault personnel.

Renault received a suspended permanent disqualification, meaning that if the team were to be found guilty of another such incident until 2011, it would face a permanent disqualification from F1. Managing Director Flavio Briatore was suspended indefinitely, and Engineering Director Pat Symonds was given a five-year ban. After an agreement with the FIA, both returned to F1 post-2013. Compared to what Massa lost, this, according to him, is nothing. As quoted by The Athletic, he said, “The punishment was no punishment. Nobody paid for that. For me, this is — sorry for the word — but it is bulls**t.”

What do you think Felipe Massa is trying to achieve with this lawsuit? Is he using it to hide his on-track incapabilities?

WATCH THIS STORY | Felipe Massa’s Attempt to Take Back the 2008 F1 Championship Explained