Massa takes next steps in case over Hamilton's 2008 title

Felipe Massa's investigations into the legality of the 2008 Formula 1 World Championship have intensified, according to reports.

15 years after Lewis Hamilton was crowned World Champion for the first time, his former Ferrari rival is looking to query the validity of the results, following new publicised comments from former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.

Since the infamous 'crashgate' scandal – when Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed to help then-Renault teammate Fernando Alonso win the 2008 Singapore GP – came to light in 2009, Massa has blamed the event for losing the 2008 title to Hamilton.

The crash, and subsequent Safety Car, triggered a botched pit stop for race leader Massa, who went on finish outside of the points, with Hamilton finishing in third place.

With details of the event coming to light long after the conclusion of the 2008 season, there had previously been no hope of protesting the results.

However, Ecclestone had recently conceded that both he and former FIA President Max Mosley knew about the incident in 2008, and intentionally kept it a secret to "protect the sport", knowing that an investigation in 2008 would have affected the outcome of the title race.

At the time crashgate was exposed, Massa wanted the results of the 2008 Singapore GP to be cancelled, which was not possible under the sport's statutes.

Massa 'assembles team of lawyers'

Ecclestone's new comments about the cover-up prompted Massa to confirm that he would be looking into the matter, and that he would be assessing his legal options.

According to Motorsport.com, Massa has now assembled a team of lawyers who are now actively investigating the case in more detail.

The same report also states that Massa will now no longer be making public statements about the case.

Piquet has since commented on the incident, saying that he was "treated like a dog" in that difficult period with the Renault team.