Bernie Ecclestone Claims Felipe Massa "Was Robbed" of Championship Win By Lewis Hamilton
Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has expressed his opinion that Lewis Hamilton's 2008 world title may not have been earned legitimately, claiming that Felipe Massa "was robbed" of the championship.
Ecclestone reflected on the errors made that year and discussed how he would have changed the outcome of the season, which would have ended with Felipe Massa winning the championship.
Hamilton secured his first world championship in 2008, becoming the youngest ever Formula 1 world champion. The season, however, was rife with controversy, most notably the "crashgate" scandal.
Renault instructed their driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash his car deliberately during the Singapore Grand Prix, allowing his teammate Fernando Alonso to gain an advantage and ultimately win the race.
The scandal only surfaced a year later, after Piquet had left the team. The FIA launched an investigation and concluded that Renault had orchestrated the incident. However, this did not alter the outcome of the 2008 season, and Hamilton was still crowned the champion.
Ecclestone, in retrospect, believes that he should have handled the situation differently. He revealed that he and then-FIA president Max Mosley were aware of the issue, but chose not to take any action against Renault.
In an interview with F1-Insider.com, the former F1 boss explained:
"We wanted to protect the sport and save it from a huge scandal.
"At the time, the rule was that a World Cup ranking was untouchable after the FIA awards ceremony at the end of the year. So Hamilton was offered the trophy and everything was fine."
Ecclestone continued:
"I still feel sorry for Massa today.
"He won the final in his home race in Sao Paulo and did everything right. He was robbed of the title he deserved while Hamilton had all the luck in the world and won his first championship.
"Today I would have settled it differently. That is why, for me, Michael Schumacher is still the sole record holder. Even if the statistics say otherwise."