Jean Todt, former FIA president, has dropped a bombshell revelation about Formula 1’s ‘crashgate’ scandal, suggesting Felipe Massa might well achieve justice 15 years after the notorious 2008 Singapore Grand Prix incident. This startling development comes as Todt disclosed that key figures in F1’s regulatory body were aware of the scandal from its inception.
Speaking with L’Equipe, Todt, who succeeded Max Mosley as FIA president and was Ferrari’s boss during Massa’s tenure, unveiled a crucial piece of information. “According to Bernie Ecclestone, Max Mosley, my predecessor, and Charlie Whiting, who was the race director of Formula 1 at the time, were in the know from the very beginning,” Todt revealed.
He emphasized his lack of knowledge about the scandal when he assumed the FIA presidency. “I was not informed about this,” Todt clarified. This new information, if confirmed, signifies that the championship’s regulatory body had prior knowledge of the orchestrated crash involving Nelson Piquet, which dramatically impacted the championship outcome, favoring Lewis Hamilton over Massa.
Massa, who narrowly lost the 2008 championship, is now considering legal avenues against the FIA and F1, seeking redress for the injustice of ‘crashgate.’ Todt noted the complications arising from the deaths of Mosley and Whiting. “Unfortunately, Charlie and Max have passed away,” he said.
Todt also referenced the FIA’s usual stance on championship results. “The rule at the FIA has always been that results of the world championship must be ratified before December 31 and then we never retract them,” he explained. However, he suggested that this particular case might be different due to the delayed revelation of facts. “But in the case of Singapore 2008, the facts were not revealed until a year later and the sanctions imposed by the FIA before my arrival were annulled by the court in Paris,” Todt added.
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