Mercedes could launch legal challenge to Max Verstappen’s 2021 title – if Lewis Hamilton is STRIPPED of 2008 crown
MERCEDES could launch a legal challenge to Max Verstappen’s 2021 title – depending on the outcome of Felipe Massa’s attempts to have Lewis Hamilton’s championship overturned in 2008.
Massa has instructed a team of lawyers to investigate claims that former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA knew of Renault’s plot to have Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crash in the Singapore GP to benefit their other driver, Fernando Alonso.
Massa is seeking to have the outcome of that season’s championship overturned after he lost to Hamilton by a single point, claiming F1 and the FIA should have acted sooner.
When asked for his view on the subject ahead of this weekend’s Singapore GP, Wolff was coy on his team’s stance.
He said: “The rules are pretty clear in Formula One. It will certainly set a precedent — whatever it is. We’re looking from the sidelines with curiosity.”
The decision is significant given the FIA’s handling of the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP where former Race Director Michael Masi fudged the rules in a dramatic climax to the season.
Masi was later axed from his role and the subject of a three-month FIA investigation while Mercedes pulled a U-turn on their decision to challenge the outcome of the race.
Hamilton went to ground during the winter raising questions as to whether he would return to the sport given the controversy surrounding the championship.
And Wolff pointed out: “And the FIA commented on the 2021 race, with a clear statement. So, that’s why we are looking at it [Massa’s challenge] with interest.”
Defiant Wolff also refused to apologise to Verstappen for labelling his record of 10 successive wins as “irrelevant” and something for “Wikipedia”.
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Wolff was heavily criticised for his disingenuous comment with Verstappen claiming the Mercedes chief was just “pissed off” after “a pretty s*** race” in Monza.
While admitting the comments were not correct, he stopped short of saying sorry to the Dutchman.
He added: “Obviously when you look at the comments in the circumstances you can think about whether it was the most intelligent thing that I could have said and maybe not.
“But it’s always been my mindset. It is something that I’ve taken from Niki [Lauda].
“Niki gave his trophies away to get a free car wash. You won’t find a lot of memorabilia in my places either because those numbers never mattered for the two of us.
“F1 is a meritocracy. And I said it often during this year that only the best will win world championships and you need to recognise what a great job is being done there.
“At the end they will take another big trophy and that’s something that’s the most valuable: the best person in the best car wins the world championship.”
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