lewis hamilton He achieved his first Formula 1 title in 2008 with McLaren. he defeated Felipe Massa and became champion in the last corner of the last race. And now Bernie Ecclestonewho was head of the competition at the time, says that it was not fair.
Speaking to ‘F1 Insider’, he recalled what happened that year with the Renault ‘crash gate’ with Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet Jr. F1 did not ‘get a hand’ in driver scoring, which benefited Hamilton.
“We decided to do nothing. We wanted to protect the sport and save it from a huge scandal. Back then, there was a rule that a world champion’s ranking was untouchable after the FIA prize-giving ceremony at the end of the year. So Hamilton was handed the cup and it all went well,” he says.
Something that he regrets: “That means that it would not have affected the championship classification. And Felipe Massa would have become world champion and not Lewis Hamilton. Even today I still feel sorry for Massa. I’m sorry for him”.
“In the end, he won the home race in Sao Paulo and he did everything well. He was deceived and did not take the title he deservedwhile Hamilton had all the luck in the world and won his first championship,” he said.
The difference was only one point (98 for 97) and if F1 had modified the scores, now Massa would have a world title to his credit and Hamilton seven.
