Felipe Massa using Toto Wolff argument against Lewis Hamilton in new plea
Felipe Massa is confident Ferrari will eventually end up supporting him in his bid to overturn the 2008 World Championship – just like Toto Wolff came to Lewis Hamilton’s corner in the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Massa has taken legal action against F1 and its governing body the FIA with the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix at the centre of his appeal.
Bernie Ecclestone implied earlier this year that he and Max Mosley were aware of what happened in the ‘crashgate’ scandal before it was public knowledge, but ruled against taking action to protect the sport’s reputation. That race saw Massa finish outside the points after a botched pit stop following Nelson Piquet Jr’s ‘crash’ while Hamilton ended up third.
Renault were eventually punished for the ‘crashgate’ scandal, but that came long after the season concluded. Hamilton was involved in another controversial championship result back in 2021 in the now infamous Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when Mercedes were left furious with former race director Michael Masi.
The FIA eventually removed Masi from his position before the next season started after Wolff and Hamilton aired their grievances.
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And Massa believes Wolff’s comments about the 2021 World Championship will only support his own claim to be crowned the 2008 champion with a plea for Ferrari to begin backing him. “I am still expecting to be together and have support, because at the end, we [Ferrari] lost the championship together,” Massa told RacingNews365.
“I love Ferrari, it is part of my heart and I am definitely a big Ferrari fan and will be all my life for everything [that happened] during my time with the team, with the fans, the opportunities and the dreams that I had. So I definitely expect them to be on my side, because we lost the championship together through the manipulation that happened.
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“Anytime that you hear about Toto Wolff talking about 2021, he is the most supportive person, so with that, I cannot really believe that Ferrari won’t be on that situation with me. For the moment, they are quiet, but I really believe they will be on my side, and I really hope that is the case because that is the correct thing for what happened to us.
“What happened to me, happened to Ferrari as well.” Wolff admitted earlier this year that Massa’s legal action against the FIA could end up setting a precedent that may also have an implication on the 2021 World Championship.
“This is clearly not something that anybody saw coming, the rules are pretty clear in Formula One,” he said. “If there’s a civil case behind it, it would certainly set a precedent, whatever it is. We are looking from the sidelines with curiosity.”
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