Felipe Massa rates his chances of overturning Lewis Hamilton’s F1 2008 title

Felipe Massa believes he has “every possibility” to win his case over the outcome of his 2008 F1 World Championship defeat to Lewis Hamilton.

Confirmation arrived last week that former Sauber, Ferrari and Williams driver Massa had opened legal proceedings against Formula 1, its governing body the FIA and former F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone over the 2008 Championship result, due to the controversy surrounding that year’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Felipe Massa sees ‘every possibility’ of winning case

The 2008 Singapore GP was the scene of the infamous ‘Crashgate’ scandal which saw Nelson Piquet Jr crash deliberately to help Renault team-mate Fernando Alonso win the race.

Massa had been leading comfortably from pole position in his Ferrari, though the ensuing Safety Car period saw his race fall apart as he left the pit box with the fuel nozzle still attached.

Massa ultimately finished that race outside the points in P13, with a single point ultimately the fine margin which decided the 2008 title in Hamilton’s favour, the first of seven World Championship triumphs for the Brit.

Massa though is looking to re-write the history books via legal action and is confident that it will prove to be a successful endeavour.

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Speaking to RacingNews365 while in attendance for Formula E in Sao Paulo – his home city and scene of that dramatic 2008 title decider – Massa said: “I think I’ve said everything I’m supposed to say about that.

“I said in the interviews, it’s something that we will fight until the end, and this is the only thing I can say, it does not depend on me anymore.

“It depends on the lawyers. We have a very, very good group of people, professional people working on that.

“I really believe that we have a bigger case and every possibility to win the case.

“But to be honest, it’s not on me anymore.

“The only thing I can say is that we are fighting for the justice, because it was not fair what happened to me.

“As I said, that’s the only thing I can say.”

2008 proved to be Massa’s only shot at Formula 1 World Championship glory, the Brazilian racer continuing with Ferrari until 2013, after which he embarked on a four-season stint with Williams that brought his F1 career to a close.

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