Felipe Massa breaks silence on the 2008 controversy: "It was our title"

Felipe Massa spoke for the first time about the controversies that surround the 2008 F1 World Championship. In an interview to Globo Esporte, the Brazilian driver opened up about his feelings regarding the legal action against FOM and the FIA to strip Hamilton of the title.

"It hurts. It was a situation where I had the title in my hand. That title was ours. And it was taken away by manipulation. No doubt it is something very serious for the sport, for justice, and for all the people who are part of the sport that we always think is something clean, but it was not", claimed the former Ferrari driver.

"I have nothing against Hamilton. The fight is about a race that was rigged, and someone paid the price because of it. It was definitely me", added Massa.

Nelson Piquet Jr intentionally crashed during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, which brought out a safety car during the race. This safety car window was used by his Renault teammate, Fernando Alonso, who moved to the front of the grid, and he would stay there and win the race. Lewis Hamilton finished third and earned points that were decisive for winning the trophy at the end of the season.

The Brazilian asks for justice

Massa also showed indignation for the lack of punishment to those involved in the case. Flavio Briatore, former head of Renault and one of those responsible for the crash, was banned after investigation in 2009, but the sentence was revoked the following year. Previously suspended, the engineer Pat Symonds returned to the sport in 2011 and is currently the Chief Technical Officer of F1.

"When we see that something was manipulated, the moment we see that there was a scam, a robbery, we get very upset. Of course, I found out in 2009 and did everything possible to show that things were not happening the right way, because in the end no one was punished for what happened. They were punished, but after two years Pat Symonds returned, Briatore who was going to be punished forever returned in a short time. Nothing happened to the team. In the end, no one was punished for a robbery like that", said the Brazilian driver.

Massa feels like the real champion

The title was decided in a rain-soaked dramatic final race at Interlagos, in Brazil. Massa won the Grand Prix, but Hamilton's fifth place gave the Englishman the trophy.

Now, knowing all that occurred during that season, the Brazilian feels like the prize belongs to him.

"I feel like the champion. And I believe that all the Brazilians who suffered in that last race of the year... No doubt I feel like the real champion, and it would be an incredible celebration here in Interlagos, in that last moment of 2008", he concluded.