#2008season

[dizzyduck44]

I’m one of those fans who sat through the 2008 season. I was rooting for Lewis. I heard Martin Brundle’s sarcastic comments in Singapore. I then sat and watched Brazil in genuine disbelief. As a fan at the time it was all a bit of entertainment and the only ones who really lost out were Ferrari. As a McLaren fan that suited me fine as the red team were the bitter rivals.

The last 15 years have not been kind to that season. It’s still heartbreaking to watch Massa’s father believe he is World Champion and 20 seconds later be told no. The dignity which Felipe stood on that podium having won his home race but lost the championship still chokes me up. Imagine being World Champion for 20 seconds.

Then 2009 ticks round and Nelson Piquet Junior hits us with it. That unbelievable Singapore Grand Prix, well Renault manufactured the result by asking him to crash.

There was enough evidence for the FIA to charge Renault and put them on probation for 2 years. They state that they could not erase the Grand Prix result as it was last season and that has been completed. (In much the same way we would see a let’s get the 2021 trophies handed out so whatever legal challenges comes we already have a precedent).

Massa never came close to another title and after his departure from Ferrari seemed to find his love of racing again. His time at Williams really showcased the personality and talent he was and I for one was sad to see him retire.

We then go on to learn that Timo Glock and his family suffered years of abuse and death threats from fans who believed he had let Lewis through on purpose. However he never wanted to finish that race on slick tyres, but was not able to come in for tyres as the pit lane was “closed” 2 laps from the end to set up the podium celebrations. A statement I have never heard about any race before or since.

2008 became a year in F1 we don’t really look back on fondly, and that’s from a McLaren fan.

Now in 2023 an offhand comment from Bernie Ecclestone (nothing new there) has lead to revelations from others which are a little sickening.

Nelson Piquet Jr admitted to a German journalist in Singapore, on that night in 2008 he had crashed on purpose and he was terrified to tell his father, but never to say anything.

Half the journalists in the paddock that night suspected foul play, a few made those now prophetic comments such as Brundle’s. No one was really allowed to say anything though as there was no proof.

Nelson Piquet Snr went to Bernie Ecclestone and Charlie Whiting before the end of the 2008 season and told them what had happened in Singapore, meaning that F1 and FIA officials knew before the end of the season that they had a race that potentially had been fixed.

The fact they did nothing is damming. In fact it seems nothing would have been done at all if the story hadn’t been given to the press in 2009.

So 15 years later Massa finds out the only chance he had to be World Champion was hindered by a result the FIA have know was manufactured all this time.

Alonso is still racing, Briatore is his manager. Renault are still in the sport, all be it as Alpine. For a newer fan there is no sign that race had any implications.

The best bit, after the way the FIA treated Lewis in 2021 is he really going to fight Felipe from getting some acknowledgment that he was robbed? Surely an outcome on that argument could give Lewis the basis for a challenge for the 2021 title.

It’s messy, it’s not particularly fair on any of the three drivers it could impact. Ultimately Felipe, Lewis and Max played no part in the decisions that caused such controversy.

And I bet you the FIA will not even consider naming Co-champions for those two years. It’s not fair to take away what was already given, but it’s not right to deny the FIA meddling took from others. Of course for any of this to happen requires the Brigadoon of all outcomes.

The FIA will have to admit it was wrong.

And when they’ve done that, then they can explain how the Williams garage mysteriously went on fire straight after they had won the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix.