The 2008 F1 season’s championship battle between Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa ended with a single point between the two drivers. In any other season, this could be chalked up to how the drivers performed during the year. But, in this particular season, the crash of Nelson Piquet Jr. at the Singapore Grand Prix may have impacted who hoisted the championship trophy. His crash was initially attributed to his inexperience. But, further investigation revealed the existence of “Crashgate”.
What happened during the Singapore Grand Prix in 2008?
Heading into the Singapore night race, Piquet Jr.’s team, Renault, was in the middle of the standings. Along with the rookie driver, two-time WDC winner Fernando Alonso was also a part of the driver line-up. So, the French outfit was striving for a better result than just midfield.
Alonso and Piquet started 15th and 16th, and on lap 12, the Spaniard went into the pits for fuel and tires. On lap 15, Piquet Jr. crashed his car into Turn 17 bringing out the safety car. During the 2007 and 2008 seasons, the pitlane would close in the event of a safety car.
Most of the grid ahead of Alonso pitted before the safety car came out. This allowed the Spanish driver to climb up to fifth place. Soon, he was leading the race, and he eventually won the Singapore Grand Prix.
What happened behind the scenes of “Crashgate”?
The young driver’s crash was assumed to occur due to his lack of familiarity with the vehicle. However, after Piquet Jr. was removed from the team in the 2009 season, he opened up about the truth.
The Brazilian shared that he was ordered by Renault team boss Flavio Briatore and engineering director Pat Symonds to crash his car on purpose. This also explained Alonso’s early pit stop, given that he knew the safety car would soon be out, and solidified his win.
In 2013, Nelson Piquet Sr., three-time Formula 1 champion, shared what happened when he spoke to his son about the incident.
“[Nelson Piquet Jr.] said it was all programmed and he had been told to do it. I was quite shocked: ‘How could you do something like that?’ I asked him. He said, ‘Look, you should know what the pressure is like here. They told me that if I wanted to be part of the team, I had to do what they want’.” [via Motor Sport]
The controversy and subsequent investigation led to this moment being dubbed “Crashgate”.
What was the impact of “Crashgate”?
After Piquet Jr. left the team and divulged what went on behind the scenes, an FIA hearing was convened. Before the hearing took place, Briatore and Symonds left the Renault team, but it didn’t matter. As a result of the hearing, riatore was handed a lifetime ban from the sport. Meanwhile, Symonds was given a five-year ban.
The difference in their punishments lies in the fact that Briatore denied his involvement, while Symonds confessed to being a part of “Crashgrate”. Briatore took the FIA to the French courts, which determined that the punishment was unfair. This verdict ended with Briatore taking home €15,000, while Symonds’ race ban lasted three years.
Piquet Jr. and Alonso escaped punishments. However, Renault were disqualified from F1 and handed a two-year suspension. This meant that if a similar incident occurred before the 2011 season, they would be banned from the sport forever.
How did “crashgate” affect Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa?
At that race in Singapore, Felipe Massa had secured pole position and looked poised to win the race. Massa was only a point behind Lewis Hamilton (who started P2) and could’ve taken the championship lead at the end of the event.
After the safety car period prompted by the Renault driver’s crash was over, Ferrari attempted to double stack their drivers. Massa pitted first, but his team made an error. By trying to rush him out quickly, he was given the green light too early. Due to this, he sped away from the pit stop, with the fuel hose still attached to his car. The team rushed to detach it, but all this caused the Brazilian driver to come out last. He ended up finishing P13, while his championship rival finished P3.
Heading to the final race of the season in Brazil, Lewis Hamilton was seven points ahead in the championship. If the Ferrari driver had won in Singapore, the gap between the two would only be three points. The result in Brazil, P1 for Massa and P5 for the Briton, would’ve had the former be crowned the 2008 World Drivers’ Champion.
