Felipe Massa remains embroiled in a lawsuit against the FIA in a final attempt to claim the 2008 World Championship title. It’s a protracted case, but the Brazilian is not letting go, he says. “Everyone knows that what happened wasn’t right.”
To briefly recap the case: During the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, Nelson Piquet Jr. crashed, after which his Renault teammate Fernando Alonso won the race. A few months later, it emerged that Piquet Jr. had deliberately crashed his Renault into the wall to increase Alonso’s chances of victory. Had the race proceeded normally, there’s a high probability that Felipe Massa would have become the World Champion that year instead of Lewis Hamilton. Massa believed he was the World Champion in the final race of that season, notably in Brazil. He won the race at Interlagos and his team Ferrari prematurely celebrated the World Championship, but in a dramatic twist, Hamilton overtook Timo Glock in the last corner of the race and clinched the title by a single point. Thus, Massa went down in history as the man who believed he was World Champion for 38 seconds.
Felipe Massa is demanding $82 million in damages from the FIA, Formula 1, and Bernie Ecclestone for the lost prize money and the income he missed out on as a Formula 1 World Champion.
– Felipe, what is the current status of your case at the British High Court?
“We took the case to court five months ago. We submitted a 60-page document in which my lawyers and I explained our complaint point by point. We knew beforehand that this is not a simple case that can be resolved in two days. It takes time, but we are highly motivated and have a strong case. What happened is not fair to me. What happened in that race (Singapore) does not belong in the sport.
The Essence of the Sport is at Stake
“Bernie Ecclestone indicated fifteen years after the fact that he and then FIA president Max Verstappen were aware of the true circumstances of the incident in Singapore before the end of the season. We also have evidence that the FIA and FOM knew everything, but they chose not to act for political reasons. Our fight is against those who were aware of the conspiracy. These are the organizations that were supposed to care for the sport, the FIA and FOM. This is what makes this case so important in my eyes, as it touches the essence of the sport.”
There is Often a Difference Between Being Right and Getting Justice. Is it Difficult to Change the Outcome of a Championship After So Many Years?
“It is difficult, but not impossible. This is about justice. That’s what we’re fighting for. In other sports, results have been revised. Not in Formula 1 yet, but there is now every reason, as a race and thus a championship has been manipulated.”
Does This Issue Play on Your Mind Every Day?
“I didn’t even think about it anymore. Until I heard everything fifteen years after the incident and understood what had happened. And then you can’t let go of it. It was simply unfair. Everyone knows that what happened is not right. I think it’s unique that a driver physically goes to civil court to take on powerful sports organizations like the FIA and FOM. I hope to also send a signal and show that everyone is free and strong enough to stand up for their rights.”
‘My Fight is Not Against Lewis’
It’s a protracted case that could still take a long time.
“I hope it will be quicker. Of course, the lawsuit is on my mind a lot right now. I always try to do the right things in life and treat people the way I want to be treated. And what I do is right.”
When you’re on the track and you meet people like Bernie Ecclestone and Lewis Hamilton, does this case ever come up?
“I’ve already talked to Bernie about it. And when I went to court, he gave an interview in which he completely agreed with me. In fact, he even said that if I had asked him, he would have advised me to do this and that in his eyes, the 2008 title belongs to me. So Bernie has said what he had to say.”
“My fight is not against Lewis, but against a race that was manipulated. And against the conspiracy afterwards, which ultimately cost me the world title. All drivers are members of the FIA. The FIA has a moral obligation to treat its members fairly.”
Felipe Massa: “The FIA has a moral obligation to treat its members fairly.”
When you’re on the track and you meet people like Bernie Ecclestone and Lewis Hamilton, does this case ever come up?
“Absolutely. I’m a driver, not a lawyer. I’ve hired the best people in this field and everyone is very motivated. We all believe without exception that we have a very strong case. We now have to wait and see what will happen and when the case will be heard in detail. That might still take a few months.”
‘Domenicali is a friend of mine’
– Has this lawsuit changed your relationships with people in the paddock?
“I love Formula 1 and I never treat people badly. Stefano Domenicali is now the CEO of Formula 1, but in 2008 he lost the championship with me as the team boss of Ferrari. He is a good friend of mine. Our relationship will not change because of this case. I am merely fighting for my rights.”
– His role is different now, so that makes it complicated, doesn’t it?
“It’s not up to me anymore. My lawyers and the judge are in charge. But I will not give up my rights, no one should expect that from me. I hope our understanding will never change and it would not be fair if others would change their approach to me because I stand up for my rights.”
‘I will never get that feeling back’
– Do you feel like a world champion?
“Absolutely, yes! In my heart for sure. After 2008, people have always told me that the championship was mine. Even people from Formula 1, even people who now work for the institutions I am fighting against, say that.”
– But in the meantime, your name is not – or not yet – on the list of world champions. Is that hard to swallow?
“Can you imagine what it would have been like for me to become world champion in my own country, in Brazil? I will never get that feeling back. Winning the title in front of my own fans in Interlagos, that would have been something indescribably beautiful, something unforgettable. I will never experience that feeling. But justice, the recognition as the official Formula 1 world champion of 2008, is something I have to fight for. And I am.”
