Massa exclusive: I expect Ferrari's support in Hamilton 2008 title legal action

Felipe Massa says he expects and hopes for Ferrari to support his on-going legal action over the 2008 World Championship.

Massa is currently pursuing avenues to try and overturn the result of the title he lost to Lewis Hamilton by one point after comments from then-F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone suggested he knew the Singapore Grand Prix had been fixed by Renault during the season, but that he elected not to take any action.

The Brazilian's legal team is awaiting documents from the FIA and Formula 1, with a final deadline for them to be handed over being extended to November 15th, with the 11-time Grand Prix winner not interested in any financial settlement.

Massa's Ferrari team has thus far been quiet over the case, with Hamilton also not taking an interest, but Massa believes Ferrari will lend its support to his case as it also lost a championship - which would be its 16th Drivers' crown.

Massa expects Ferrari support

"I am still expecting to be together and have support, because at the end, we lost the championship together," Massa exclusively tells RacingNews365 on the 15th anniversary of the race in Brazil.

"I love Ferrari, it is part of my heart and I am definitely a big Ferrari fan and will be all my life for everything [that happened] during my time with the team, with the fans, the opportunities and the dreams that I had.

"So I definitely expect it to be on my side, because we lost the championship together through the manipulation that happened.

"Anytime that you hear about Toto Wolff talking about 2021, he is the most supportive person, so with that, I cannot really believe that Ferrari won't be on that situation with me.

"For the moment, they are quiet, but I really believe they will be on my side, and I really hope that is the case because that is the correct thing for what happened to us.

"What happened to me, happened to Ferrari as well."

Article continues below.

Support in Brazil

In 2008, Massa lost out on the chance to become the fourth Brazilian to claim the title after Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna - whose last crown came in 1991.

When asked how his case has been received by the Brazilian public, Massa detailed how he is often stopped in the street by people offering their support.

"The reaction is very, very supportive," he says.

"Everywhere I go, in the airport, the supermarket, the restaurant, people stop me to say that they are on my side and that I need to fight because what happened to you is not part of the sport and that I am the champion.

"I have amazing support from different people in the country, but not even just Brazil, sometimes in the United States, I have support and Europe as well.

"Many people in the racing world, you can sometimes see they are a bit afraid to express their support for me, but there are many who back me, even inside motorsport, so I am not doing it alone.

"I'm doing it for my country because Brazil lost out by not being recognised as a champion. That could have been amazing to help motorsport grow - and we don't have a Brazilian driver in Formula 1 at the moment.

"It could have been different, looking at what Senna did for other Brazilians. I am not comparing myself with Senna, but we know how important that championship would have been for the country."