Legal battle over 'crashgate' scandal could impact Lewis Hamilton's 2021 F1 Championship loss
- Rob Fleming
- 15 September 2023
Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes team believe there could be grounds to challenge the British driver's deeply contentious Formula 1 championship defeat to Max Verstappen in 2021.
If Felipe Massa is successful in his current legal battle with Formula 1's rulers.
Massa has started a lawsuit against the outcome of the 2008 world championship following the ‘Crashgate' scandal at the Singapore Grand Prix – the venue for Sunday's race.
Renault staged a win for Fernando Alonso by ordering Nelson Piquet Jr to crash in the other car.
Ferrari's Massa, leading at the time of Piquet's smash, finished 13th, before losing the championship to Hamilton by a single point.
Piquet revealed the following season that he was under instruction by his bosses to deliberately crash.
However, Bernie Ecclestone – who bossed F1 for four decades before he was deposed in 2017 – revealed earlier this year that the sport's executives were aware of the cover-up before the 2008 campaign concluded.
Lawyers acting for Massa, 42, believe the result of the race in Singapore should be cancelled, and the Brazilian crowned champion.
And in a fresh twist on the eve of this weekend's night race in the city-state, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said that the outcome of Massa's legal case could prompt the Silver Arrows to re-open the conclusion of the 2021 championship.
Hamilton was denied a record eighth title after race director Michael Masi failed to follow the correct safety car re-start rules in Abu Dhabi.
"It is interesting to follow," said Wolff. "It is clearly not something that anybody saw coming because the rules are pretty clear in Formula One.
"But it will certainly set a precedent – whatever it is – and we're looking from the sidelines with curiosity."
In the final stages of the 2021 finale, Masi wrongly ordered only the lapped cars between Hamilton and second-placed Verstappen through, providing the Dutchman – on fresh tyres – a shot at passing the Mercedes man, who was on old rubber.
Verstappen won and claimed his maiden title. Mercedes lodged and then dropped their appeal of the result. The FIA later acknowledged "human error" before removing Masi from his post.
And Wolff added: "The FIA commented on the 2021 race with a clear statement. That is why we are looking at it (Massa's case) with interest."
On Friday night, a spokesperson for F1's governing body, told the PA news agency: "The FIA acknowledges receipt of correspondence from representatives of Mr Felipe Massa.
"The matter is under review and we will not be providing comment at this stage."
Asked about Massa's lawsuit in the build-up to this weekend's race, Hamilton said: "I am not focused on what happened 15 years ago.
"I am focused on the here and now and helping my team to win the world championship in the future."
