General
Will Massa get his 2008 title after all? 'The chances are high'
Felipe Massa is still trying to claim his missed world title in 2008. In early April, the Brazilian announced that he wanted to take steps to claim his only world championship. In fact, the former Ferrari driver's lawyer tells Motorsport.com that there is a good chance that this will succeed.
In 2008, Lewis Hamilton won his first world title. However, this could have been very different. During that year's Singapore Grand Prix, Nelson Piquet Jr. crashed deliberately. This is referred to as the 'crashgate scandal'. Massa lost many points due to the crash, which ultimately left him just one point short of winning the world title though. The scandal only became public in 2009, and by then there was nothing to do about the standings.
Earlier this year, the story took a new twist. Bernie Ecclestone, former F1 boss, said during an interview that he and then-FIA president, already knew about the scandal during the season. As a result, Massa decided to take legal action to claim his championship.
Will Massa get his title?
Massa's legal team indicated last week they would go to the British High Court if there was no response to the scandal from the FIA and FOM by 8 September 16:00. Bernardo Viana, Massa's lawyer who is coordinating the work from Brazil, says a team from different specialisms has been assembled to ensure the Brazilian driver gets his title. The faith among the lawyer is great. When asked if the process will be successful, he says: "The chances are high."