Massa to skip Brazil GP as legal struggle continues for 2008 title

Felipe Massa is likely to skip visiting his home Formula 1 race this weekend in Brazil amid his ongoing legal challenge over the outcome of the 2008 World Championship.

Massa lost out on the 2008 title to Lewis Hamilton by just one point, but the Brazilian and his legal team claim that he was the victim of a “conspiracy” which cost him.

The former Ferrari driver believes that the result of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix should be nullified as the FIA and FOM allegedly covered up knowledge of Nelson Piquet Jr’s deliberate crash in the event which went on to have major implications on the championship outcome.

Had the race in Singapore been wiped out, Massa would have emerged as champion by five points.

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Massa has indicated that he will likely avoid making the trip to Interlagos this weekend and has not been asked to perform any ambassadorial duties either.

“The only thing I know is that F1 asked me not to go to the Monza race,” Massa told Motorsport.com. “I was also going to go to the Japan race [as ambassador] and I didn’t go. 

“About Brazil, nothing was discussed, we haven’t had any contact since that moment before Monza until now.

“I believe I won’t [go]. I would [only] go to the races as an ambassador.  

“But I 100% respect the [legal] situation that is happening at the moment, perhaps [to the point] of not going because of [all] that is happening.  

“But there was no invitation and no conversation about my work as ambassador, so I don’t think I should participate.” 

Late last month, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem told Reuters that he welcomed Massa’s investigation of his options.

“I answered him saying ‘It’s up to you, you do what you think is right for you, but the FIA will have to protect themselves,” Ben Sulayem said.

“We have our rules, we have our sporting rules, and our statutes, which say a certain period after that you can’t [do anything]… but people can challenge that. It’s not the book of God.” 

Massa later refuted this, saying the conversation had never actually taken place.

“I was a little surprised, because we didn’t have this conversation with him. We never talked about the case,” Massa claimed separately to Autosport.

“In the end, I didn’t have a conversation with him. I sent a message explaining the case and saying that I was available for us to talk, but he never responded to me. We never had that conversation. 

“I hope and believe that the FIA has to defend the sport. But it’s not [about] defending itself, but defending what is fair and what is right for sport in general. I think that’s the main point.” 

Massa added that he and his legal team had hoped for cooperation from the FIA and FOM to rectify any missteps made by former figureheads including Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosely.

“We understand that they are the same companies, but they are different people compared to those of the time,” the 11-time grand prix winner continued.

“I hope the people today show that things are different, so I hope that the people who are in charge today, both in the FIA and FOM, see that this type of situation is unacceptable and that they can’t turn their backs on a case like this. I really hope they clean it up.

“I think the most important thing is for us to have justice done in the right way. “The correct thing, the work [of my lawyers], is cancel the race [Singapore].

“I understand that we are 15 years after it, but justice has to be done the right way and that is what we will fight for.”

The Brazilian was also asked whether he would be open to the idea of sharing the title should he not be able to effectively argue for the erasure of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix’s result.

“If justice is done and we think that this is really the right thing to do [sharing the title with Hamilton], especially because [sharing of championships] happened in other sports, it is something to be analysed. But we are going after justice and after the trophy, that’s the main point.

“I have never spoken to Hamilton [about this] and, in fact, I see that people are very afraid to comment on the case.

“But I have a lot of support, to be honest, from a lot of people who cannot speak, and a lot support from people on the street, from my country, from other countries too.”