Nelson Piquet says fellow Brazilian, Felipe Massa, still blames him for missing out on the 2008 championship, despite the event taking place almost two years previous.
Felipe Massa lost the title to Lewis Hamilton by just a single point, in one of the most dramatic ends to a season in modern F1.
However, a few races before the season finale, an incident involving Nelson Piquet and the Renault team, whereby Piquet was ordered to crash to let his team-mate, Fernando Alonso, win the race, saw Massa loose ten points.
The Ferrari driver dropped out of the lead of the inaugural Singapore GP after a poor pitstop, due to the resultant safety car, which saw him driving down the pitlane with his fuel hose still attached
Piquet Jnr says a previously warm relationship has now turned very sour with the two not having talked since the truth about the event came to light.
“I got along well with him [Massa] and with Rubens Barrichello. Both always treated me very well, gave me tips on track as I knew less. We sat together in the drivers’ meetings,” he told Brazil’s Istoe magazine.
“[After Singapore] it changed a lot. Massa was very upset with me because he thinks, to this day, that he lost the 2008 Championship because of me.
“It is no use arguing that he had a DNF in Hungary, that he and Ferrari made mistakes. Not to mention his lack of luck.
“For the love of God, that last lap in Interlagos was pure luck for Hamilton and bad luck for him. But he is still very upset. I understand but I don’t suffer much with it anymore.
“I have never talked to him again. We stumble upon each other every now and then but we don’t keep in touch.”
Discussion about this post