Legendary F1 race engineer weighs in on Felipe Massa’s 2008 title court case

Rob Smedley has his say on Felipe Mas🦂sa's legal action over the result of the 2008 F1 world championship.

Felipe Massa and Rob Smedley
Felipe Massa and Rob Smedley

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Felipe Massa’s former F1 race engineer Rob Smedley has given his verdict on the Brazilian’s legal action over the 2008🧜 world championship.

The now retired, former Ferrari driver is contesting the result that saw him lose out to the 2008 F1 crown to 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lewis Hamilton.

The 2008 Singapore Grand Prix ‘crashgate’ scandal sits at the heart of Massౠa’s bid to “bring the trophy home”, which wa🦄s prompted by an interview in which ex-F1 boss Bernice Ecclestone implied that F1 and the FIA were aware of Renault’s fixing of the race at the time.

Smedley, Massa’s long-time race engineer at Ferrari, ꩲwas asked for his thoughtsౠ on the situation during an episode of The Race F1 podcast.

“I’ve always been a person that whatever happened yesterday, whether it was good or bad, I kind of get up and dust myself off and move on and it just kind of𓃲 fades into ancient history for me,” Smedley said.

“More pots and pans, m🉐ore medals or whatever you want to call it, is fairly meaningless for me. I’m interested in what’s happening today and tomorrow and the day after that. But that’s my personal opinion on it.

Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa at the title-deciding Brazilian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa at the title-deciding Brazilian Grand Prix

“But what I will say is that this is something that Felipe f𒁃eels strongly about. It’s no secret that Felipe is a really𓃲 good pal of mine. He’s like a little brother to me.

“And if this is s🌌omething that he feels strongly about and passionately about and when he talks about it, he’s very compelling and he’s very convincing in the fact he is doing this for what he feels is for justice.”

Smedley 🦂believes any outcome in which Massa’s legal challenge proved successful would have a precedent on not only F1, but sport in general.

“Everybody should have a personal right to pursue, within the bands of legality obviously, what they think is just. And that’s ﷽the case with Felipe here,” he continu🐼ed.

“There’s lots of different partieཧs involved. We’re starting to look back at the past. Where this will end up, I’ve got no idea. I keep a watching brief on it. That’s kind of all I do, all I can ꦏdo and all I want to do.

“So it’s ♋of interest, because in the scenario where it does get flipped, what does that open up at that point? In terms of sporting decisions, not only in F1 but in the past.

“That’s not to say that’s right or wrong. I’m not trying to fall on either side of the fence here, it’s just a really interesting element of all of t♕his.

“If 𝄹there is a decision that favours what Felipe is goin🍨g after, that will then be very, very interesting for how sport in general deals with past unjust decisions, let's say.”

'How you crash there, I've got no idea' 

Nelson Piquet Jr's wrecked Renault
Nelson Piquet Jr's wrecked Renault

Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed at Turn 17 on Lap 14, causing a Safety Car that benefitted teammate 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Fernando Alonso and opened the door for his eventual victory.

Smedley was asked whether he and Ferrari were 𝕴suspicious at the time of Piquet’s accident, to which he repliꦐed: “How you crash there, I’ve got no idea. I wouldn’t have crash there and I don’t go about 30mph.

“I’ve got no idea how youn🌄g Nelson crashed there. Well, we have⛎ got an idea how he did it. I watched it live and I was watching it thinking ‘strange’.

“Then you watch the replays and by the third replay you think ‘OK, I understand what’s happened now’. It’s s♎imple to work out. It was obvious straight after what had happened.

“Then what the ramif💃ications and the repercussions and how you gain justice and all the rest of it. I don’t think there was anyone within any element of doubt, especially within my close circle, within Ferrari and the guys we were in touch with in the paddock.

“We looked at it and said ‘well yeah, that’s pretty clear what happened there.’”&nꦜbsp;

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