Proving that there was drama in F1 earlier than Drive to Survive, Felipe Massa is looking for authorized recommendation following current feedback made by the game’s former supremo.
The 2008 season is perpetually etched on the reminiscences of followers for its thrilling battle for the title which went all the way in which right down to the ultimate nook of the ultimate lap of the ultimate race of the season.
Whereas Massa crossed the road to win the race thereby claiming the title, his championship rival, Lewis Hamilton was operating sixth behind Timo Glock, thereby leaving the championship stage when it comes to factors however within the Brazilian’s favour on rely again.
Nevertheless, as Massa’s household celebrated within the Ferrari storage, Hamilton handed Glock within the ultimate nook and 38.907 seconds later snatched the title proper again.
Nevertheless, aside from that epic race at Interlagos, 2008 can even be remembered for ‘Crash-gate’ the notorious incident which wasn’t uncovered till nearly a 12 months later.
Having been dropped by Renault within the days after the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, Nelson Piquet Jnr claimed that he had been ordered to crash on the earlier 12 months’s Singapore Grand Prix, thus bringing a few security automotive which might assist his teammate, Fernando Alonso.
Renault did not contest the cost and the French workforce was subsequently disqualified from the game, albeit suspended for 2 years. Nevertheless, workforce principal, Flavio Briatore and director of engineering, Pat Symonds, have been each handed bans from the game, with the French workforce finally withdrawing from F1 after dropping a lot of main sponsors.
On the face of it, one would possibly surprise what all this has to do with Massa, nevertheless, the protection automotive led to by Piquet’s crash, noticed Massa take benefit by pitting. Nevertheless, in a disastrous cease the Brazilian headed again down the pitlane with the gas hose nonetheless connected to his automotive and a mechanic laying on the bottom.
The Ferrari driver stopped on the finish of the pitlane and as his crew ran to take away the hose, the TV replay confirmed that the Ferrari lighting system had given him the all-clear. It was not the driving force’s fault.
Earlier than the cease Massa has been main, after the cease he was eighteenth. He finally completed thirteenth, whereas title rival Hamilton completed third.
In a current interview with the Every day Mirror, Bernie Ecclestone stated that he and FIA president, Max Mosley have been made conscious of Piquet Jr’s actions shortly after the occasion however opted to not take motion.
“Piquet Jr had advised his father Nelson that he had been requested by the workforce to intentionally drive into the wall at a sure time limit with the intention to set off a security automotive part and assist his team-mate Alonso,” stated the previous F1 supremo.
“We determined to not do something in the intervening time,” he admitted. “We needed to guard the game and put it aside from an enormous scandal.
“There was a rule on the time {that a} world championship rating was untouchable after the FIA awards ceremony on the finish of the 12 months. So Hamilton was offered with the trophy and every little thing was tremendous.”
Ecclestone’s declare has induced Massa to hunt authorized recommendation.
“There’s a rule that claims that when a championship is set, from the second the driving force receives the champion’s trophy, issues can not be modified, even when it has been confirmed a theft,” the Brazilian tells Motorsport.com. “On the time, Ferrari’s legal professionals advised me about this rule. We went to different legal professionals and the reply was that nothing may very well be performed. So I logically believed on this scenario.
“However after 15 years, we hear that the previous proprietor of the class says that he came upon in 2008, along with the president of the FIA, they usually did nothing in order to not tarnish the title of F1.
“That is very unhappy, to know the results of this race was alleged to be cancelled and I’d have a title. Ultimately, I used to be the one who misplaced essentially the most with this consequence. So, we’re going after it to know all this.”
“There are guidelines, and there are various issues that, relying on the nation, you can not return after 15 years to resolve a scenario,” he admitted. “However I intend to check the scenario; examine what the legal guidelines say, and the foundations. We’ve to have an thought of what’s potential to do.
“I’d by no means go after it considering financially,” he insisted. “I’d go after it serious about justice. I feel when you’ve been punished for one thing that wasn’t your fault, and it is the product of a theft, a stolen race, justice needs to be served. Actually, the proper scenario is to cancel the results of that race. It’s the solely justice that may be performed in a case like this.”
Cancelling the results of the race would certainly make the Brazilian world champion, with 97 factors to Hamilton’s 92.
“We’ve already seen different conditions occurring in sports activities, comparable to Lance Armstrong (bicycle owner), who was confirmed to have doped, and he misplaced all of the titles. What’s the distinction?”
Regardless of the rights and wrongs, it’s extremely unlikely that Massa could have any luck, although it stays a thriller how Renault and Alonso have been in a position to maintain the win, even so disqualifying the Spaniard would nonetheless not profit the Ferrari driver solely the entire cancelation of the consequence.
The FIA’s Worldwide Sporting Code doesn’t enable post-race protests, whereas the proper to assessment should happen inside 14 days and 4 days previous to the annual prize-giving ceremony.
Moreover, the FIA’s Worldwide Courtroom of Attraction is the game’s highest authority as agreed by all these concerned within the varied championships.
Although Massa might name on the Courtroom of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it could possibly solely be concerned in issues such because the FIA’s Anti-Doping Disciplinary Committee, and would haven’t any say in a matter comparable to this.
Certainly, that is partly why Mercedes opted to not problem the results of the notorious 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Toto Wolff admitting on the time that “we consider we had a really robust case, and when you have a look at it from the authorized aspect, if it could have been judged in an everyday courtroom you would nearly assure that we might have received.
“However the issue with the ICA is the way in which it’s structured. The FIA cannot actually mark their very own homework. And there’s a distinction between being proper, and acquiring justice.”
