Massa has begun a legal process to see if there are grounds to get the outcome of the 2008 Formula 1 world championship overturned because of the events that took place at the Singapore race.
The Brazilian feels that the FIA became aware of Nelson Piquet’s deliberate crash in enough time for action to have been taken and get the result scrapped before the F1 title was officially awarded.
The points that title rival Lewis Hamilton took over Massa in that Singapore race ultimately proved the difference between them in the championship that year. If the results were declared null and void, then Massa would be champion.
However, with the FIA Statues declaring that results are set in stone at the end of this year, there appear to be limited options for Massa to try to get the outcome of that year’s title chase changed.
Todt became president of the FIA shortly after the controversy over the Singapore matter had been dealt with, as the decision was made to keep the result in place because it was felt that race-winner Fernando Alonso had not been aware of the plot hatched by his Renault team.
Speaking to L’Equipe, Todt said the circumstances surrounding the case were unique because the cheating only emerged a long time after the events.
“This case is special,” he said. “There was proven cheating that we only found out about later. The rule at the FIA has always been that the results must be ratified by December 31, and that we never go back on them.
“For this Singapore case, the facts were only revealed a year later, and the sanctions imposed by the FIA before my arrival were cancelled by the Paris Judicial Court.”
However, reflecting on more recent revelations that then FIA president Max Mosley and F1 race director Charlie Whiting knew about the situation ahead of that’s year’s F1 finale in Brazil, Todt suggested it should have been handled differently.
“According to Bernie Ecclestone, Max Mosley, my predecessor, and Charlie Whiting, [F1] race director, were in the know from the beginning,” added Todt.
“When I was president of the FIA, I was not informed of this. Discovering that the federation knew the truth before this famous December 31 could indeed change things.
“Unfortunately, Charlie and Max have passed away. In hindsight, well, we should have asked for the race to be cancelled.
“The completely new fact, if it is true and verifiable, is that the regulator who made the championship official knew [about what happened].”
