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Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa said that he had not spoken with former rival Lewis Hamilton regarding his lawsuit against F1. The Brazilian had previously claimed that he was "robbed" of the 2008 title following the 'Crashgate' incident at the Singapore GP in the same year.
Massa had decided to file a lawsuit after former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone reportedly revealed in a 2023 interview with F1 Insider that he and the FIA knew about the 'Crashgate' incident, but decided to act against it, fearing backlash.
In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com published on October 9, Felipe Massa was asked whether he had made any contact with Lewis Hamilton, who went on to win the title in 2008 by a single point. Answering the question, the Brazilian gave a prompt reply:
"No."
The 'Crashgate' saga remains one of the most controversial events in the sport's history after it was disclosed that the then-Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. was asked to crash to benefit his teammate, Fernando Alonso.
Felipe Massa and Ferrari had dominated the entire weekend after starting in pole position at the inaugural race at the Marina Bay Circuit. But the crash derailed the Brazilian's race as he was forced into a panic pitstop, which resulted in the fuel hose being stuck with the car.
The whole situation caused Massa to lose vital points to championship rival Lewis Hamilton, who ended up finishing in P3 while the former finished in P13.
Felipe Massa comments on the reason for not speaking with Lewis Hamilton
Former Williams F1 driver Felipe Massa acknowledged that the lawsuit filed by him wasn't a fight with Lewis Hamilton, but to do right by the sport.
During the same exclusive, Massa said:
"To be honest, this is not a fight with Lewis. Lewis has nothing to do with this fight. The fight is about what happened in the race, which was not good for the sport. The fight is that this race should be cancelled. That's the fight."
Further detailing that the entire incident was 'unfair' to him, the Brazilian added:
"We are definitely fighting against something that was not fair, because of what happened. What I am definitely striving for is to be recognized. To be recognized as a champion because I deserve it. It was not fair what happened to me because of something that happened during the race and is not part of the sport. That is why I am fighting, and I will definitely fight until the end."
Lewis Hamilton was also asked about Massa's fight against F1 and the FIA regarding the 'Crashgate' incident. Speaking via the Independent in August 2023, the Brit said he had a "bad memory" and was more focused on helping Mercedes get back in contention for the championship.
