Massa: 2008 F1 World Championship actually belongs to me

Massa, who famously lost the title to Lewis Hamilton by a single point in a dramatic 2008 F1 season finale in Brazil, took the wheel of the very car that secured Ferrari’s most recent F1 Constructors’ Championship that year, with teammate Kimi Raikkonen, who won their last F1 Drivers' title in 2007.

Reflecting the Ferrari F2008 he drove nearly two decades ago, Massa told fans at Goodwood: “It’s simply an incredible feeling to be back in the 2008 car after such a long time. That was definitely my best year. A car with which we won five races. It was Ferrari's last constructors' title, and, I would say, mine too."

The interviewer on stage laughed, but the remark was clearly more than just a nostalgic joke. Massa is currently engaged in a legal battle with Formula 1, the FIA, and Bernie Ecclestone over the handling of the infamous ‘Crashgate’ scandal, which he claims cost him the 2008 world title.

The core of Massa’s lawsuit is the manipulated result of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, where Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crashed to aid Renault teammate Fernando Alonso. Massa, who was leading before a botched pit stop triggered by the safety car, lost key points in the championship race.

He is seeking compensation and formal recognition as the rightful champion. The London High Court will hear the case in October. In a 2023 interview, Ecclestone admitted: “According to the statutes, we would have had to cancel the race in Singapore under these conditions.

"That means, for the purposes of the World Championship standings, it would never have taken place. Then Felipe Massa would have become world champion, not Lewis Hamilton," added Ecclestone.

Massa responded at the time: “I hope the right thing is done now. In the name of justice, for something that had nothing to do with real sport and that hit me hard back then. That’s what we’re fighting for. And I’m convinced it’s the right thing to do.”