Former F1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone shares his views ahead of Felipe Massa’s upcoming 2008 ‘Crashgate’ scandal lawsuit.
The 2008 F1 Drivers’ Championship & Singapore GP Crashgate Scandal
Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa announced in 2023 that he would take legal action in relation to the 2008 crashgate scandal. The Brazilian former F1 driver narrowly lost the 2008 World Driver’s Championship to then McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton. An emotional final race in Interlagos saw Hamilton clinch the title on the final lap by a single point.
The following year however, the Championship was thrown into question following a bombshell accusation from Nelson Piquet Jr. Following the young Brazilians firing from the Renault team, he alleged he had been instructed to intentionally crash during the 2008 inaugural Singapore Grand Prix.
The FIA subsequent investigation into Renault for alleged race fixing uncovered a plot by the struggling team. In order to benefit Fernando Alonso, Piquet Jr. would intentionally crash casuing a safety car. An earlier pit stop on lap 12 for the Spaniard saw him leapfrog faster cars ahead. As the leaders were unable to pit during the safety car, Alonso would go on to win the Grand Prix.
Felipe Massa on the other hand, was heavily impacted by the events of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. The then Ferrari driver finished a lowly P13 despite leading the Grand Prix in the early stages. This result cost the Brazilian valuable points in the World Championship.
On September 10th 2009, the FIA announced charges against the Renault team following the events of the ‘Crashgate’ scandal. Soon after on September 16th, the team would announce they would not contest the charges. In addition both Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds had left the team.
Massa announces legal precedings in relation to “unacceptable conduct” F1 higher ups
In 2023, Felipe Massa then announced he would take legal action in relation to the 2008 Formula 1 Championship. The Brazilian is reportedly seeking up to $82 million in damages from Formula One Management, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone. The case is due to commence in London on October 28th.
Speaking to The Times regarding the upcoming case, Massa called the decisions following the scandal “unacceptable”.
“Accountability is key to preventing future fraud.” He told the British publication “Those entrusted with protecting the sport directly violated their duties, and they cannot be allowed to benefit from concealing their own misconduct.
“Such conduct is unacceptable in any sphere of life, especially in a sport followed by millions, including children. We will pursue this to the very end in order to achieve a just and fair outcome — for myself, for motorsport in Brazil, and for the sport as a whole.”
Massa’s case revolves around a 2023 interview with F1 Insider in which Bernie Ecclestone discussed the scandal. Ecclestone reportedly admitted that he and then FIA president Max Mosley elected not to act on speculation. Despite rumours following the 2008 Singapore GP, no investigation took place.
According to F1 Insider, Ecclestone admitted he and Mosley “Decided not to do anything for the time being to protect the sport and save it from a huge scandal.
“According to the rules… we would probably have had to annul the race in Singapore in those circumstances. That means that, for purposes of the World Championship standings, it would never have taken place. Then Felipe Massa would have been world champion and not Lewis Hamilton.”
Ecclestone defends F1 ‘Crashgate’ response
Ecclestone was adamant however, in a recent interview with The Times, that there was not enough evidence available at the time to investigate the rumours following the Grand Prix. Ecclestones stance is that it was not until Nelson Piquet Jr’s admission in 2009 that sufficient evidence was collected.
“There is no way in the world anyone could change or cancel that race,” the 94-year-old claimed. “There is always something going on where someone would like to cancel it if they could. To try to persuade the president of the FIA to call a special meeting where the FIA would have to cancel the race — there were no provisions for that to happen.”
Ecclestone continued to comment on the late Max Mosley’s view of the events at the time. He claims that while it would look bad for the sport, there was no intentional cover up.
“Max knew there was not enough evidence at the time to do anything. It only started later when young Nelson decided he wanted to say something when he found out he was not going to get a seat for the following year.
“Max was not saying we should cover this up but just that it was not good for the image of Formula 1.”
Quizzed on the upcoming lawsuit, Ecclestone claimed he “didn’t even remember the bloody interview” with F1 Insider. He claimed the defending Lawyers, who aim to have the case struck out of court, believe Massa has little to stand on.
“This was an interview I gave to someone in Germany,” He recalled. “And the guy at the time, his English wasn’t that good and he was taking notes, and it was picked up by someone in England. The lawyers for myself, the FIA and F1 do not understand how it can be heard in a court.”
