Representing the 42-year-old from Sao Paulo, Brazilian lawyers Vieira Rezende Advogados initiated legal proceedings on behalf of Felipe Massa. On March 11, 2024, Massa filed a lawsuit in the High Court in London against Formula One Management Limited (FOM), Bernard Charles Ecclestone, and the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA). Massa alleges that the FIA breached its regulations by failing to promptly investigate Nelson Piquet Junior’s crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. He claims that if the FIA had acted properly, he would have won the drivers’ championship that year. Additionally, Massa seeks damages for the significant financial loss he has suffered as a result of the FIA’s failure, with Ecclestone and FOM being implicated as well. Despite attempts to reach an amicable resolution, Massa has been left with no choice but to pursue legal action.
Responding to Massa’s court action, Villeneuve expressed his strong disapproval of the Brazilian’s decision. He stated that he found it absurd and questioned the motives behind Massa’s actions. Villeneuve emphasized that there is no legal basis for Massa’s appeal and deemed it to be madness. However, he acknowledged the unpredictable nature of judicial outcomes. Drawing a comparison to Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” incident in the 1986 World Cup, Villeneuve argued against challenging historical events. He concluded that such endeavors are futile and should not be pursued.
While some may not share Villeneuve’s intensity, there are others who believe that it is time to bring an end to the controversial Singapore 2008 Crashgate saga. One of the main criticisms directed at Massa is the significant delay in seeking “justice.” Why did he not take action immediately after the race when suspicions arose regarding Fernando Alonso’s victory? Why not when Max Mosley allegedly learned about the incident from Nelson Piquet Senior later that year in Brazil? It is understandable that Massa may have deemed it too early at that time. However, why did he not take action a year later when the story broke and the scandal was exposed, with Nelson Piquet Jr, Flavio Briatore, and Pat Symonds playing prominent roles? That would have been the opportune moment for Ferrari to support Massa, but unfortunately, it did not happen. Now, Massa has opened a can of worms that dates back over 15 years, raising the question of why he has chosen to pursue this course of action now.
To address this, it is worth considering the events that occurred beyond the Sunday of 28 September 2008. On that night, there was a peculiar atmosphere in the paddock, suggesting that something suspicious had taken place, resulting in the unexpected victory of Alonso, who was considered to have no chance of winning.
There are reports that Piquet Senior, during the Brazilian GP weekend in November of that same year, informed the FIA President at the time, Max Mosley, about the Renault misconduct involving his son. He was advised to provide a legal statement regarding this matter, which would then trigger an investigation.
However, Piquet Senior, in order to ensure his son’s position at Briatore’s Renault team, chose to remain silent. It wasn’t until his son was replaced by Renault’s favored driver, Romain Grosjean, to be Alonso’s teammate that the truth came to light. This revelation occurred a year later, with no reaction from Massa, who was driving for Ferrari at the time, in late 2009. One may wonder why Massa remained silent. Could the answer lie with Jean Todt?
It is important to note that Todt, whose son Nicolas managed Massa, played a significant role in Massa’s career. Ferrari sponsored Massa’s education at Sauber while Todt was in charge at Maranello, before promoting him to the Scuderia alongside Michael Schumacher in 2006.
Ferrari and Massa should have taken the FIA to task when the truth was officially revealed in late 2009. However, they chose not to do so. Did Massa remain silent for as long as his close friend, mentor, and manager, the Todts, did?
These are valid questions that arise when attempting to analyze the situation and are worth exploring further.
Todt remained the FIA President until 2021, during which time no mention was made of this alleged “great injustice” that Massa is now seeking to rectify. However, it appears that Massa’s claim may have come too late, as the statute of limitations may have expired.
Villeneuve alludes to this in his conclusion regarding Massa: “There comes a time when a result is declared. It’s unfortunate, but that’s life. You win some, you lose some. You can’t simply invalidate a race where every driver put their lives at risk, with the rest of the field adapting to the circumstances without knowing what was happening.
“At the end of the day, they ruined their own race. It’s the most absurd thing I’ve heard in a long time. Felipe should be ashamed,” declared Villeneuve.
During that night in Singapore, Ferrari made a mistake during Massa’s pitstop, resulting in him driving off with the fueling hose still attached. He finished outside of the points in 13th place. Even if Alonso had been disqualified, Hamilton would still have won the Championship by more than just one point, as his third-place finish at Marina Bay would have become second.
Hamilton’s perspective on Massa’s campaign is straightforward: “If that’s the path Felipe wants to take, it’s his decision. I prefer not to dwell on the past. Whether it was 15 years ago, two years ago, or three days ago, I’m only concerned with the present.”