Toto Wolff believes Felipe Massa legal case will set PRECEDENT for 2021

Christian Horner and Toto Wolff — Photo: © LAT Images

Latest F1 News

Wolff believes Massa legal case will set PRECEDENT for 2021

The Mercedes team boss has spoken about Felipe Massa's 2008 title challenge

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 17 September 2023 06:57

Toto Wolff has said that he and his Mercedes team are keeping an eye on Felipe Massa's legal challenge over the 2008 world championship with 'interest' as the results of the case 'will certainly set a precedent'.

Massa has started legal proceedings against the FIA and FOM after comments from former Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone suggested that both he and then-FIA chairman Max Mosley knew about the 'crashgate' incident way before an investigation was launched.

The incident, which took place at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, was eventually investigated almost a year later, but the result of the race was not changed.

Article continues under video

Massa went on to lose the world championship by one point that year, to a young Lewis Hamilton, who finished that particular race in third position, whilst Massa could only manage 12th.

Now, Wolff has said that the incident is an interesting one, and may set a precedent for a future challenge about the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, in which Max Verstappen was able to snatch away the world championship from Hamilton in a move that was later described as 'human error' by race director Michael Masi.

"Clearly not something that anybody saw coming," Wolff told the media in Singapore.

"The rule is pretty clear in Formula 1. There's a civil case behind it, it will certainly set a precedent whatever it is.

"We are looking from the sidelines with curiosity."

What happened during 'crashgate'

Nelson Piquet Jr's Renault car wasn't in the best of shape after crashing into the Singapore barriers

The incident itself happened during F1's first ever night race at the Singapore GP, the same location for this weekend's race.

Having been leading the race comfortably, Massa came hurtling into the pits to change his tyres after Nelson Piquet Jr had crashed into the wall in his Renault, bringing out a safety car.

Piquet's team-mate Fernando Alonso had pitted for fresh tyres just before the incident, meaning he was pushed up the order into the lead of the race as everybody else scrambled to change their tyres.

Unfortunately for Massa, a slow pit stop meant that his chances of victory were over, and he only managed to finish in 12th, whilst Alonso came home to take victory ahead of Nico Rosberg and Hamilton.

Speaking on Thursday, Hamilton told media: "I'm really not focused on what happened 15 years ago or two years ago.

"I'm focused on right now and how to help my team build towards winning another world championship and the future."