F1 News: Bernie Ecclestone Backtracks After Felipe Massa Takes Legal Action Over "Crashgate"

Former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has now revealed that he does not "remember giving the interview" earlier this year which has led to Brazilian driver Felipe Massa taking legal action over the 2008 championship.

The 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, infamously known as 'Crashgate', remains one of the most controversial events in Formula 1's history. At the centre of this controversy, statements by Ecclestone earlier this year, have reignited discussions around this incident.

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The contentious moment in 2008 saw Nelson Piquet of Renault crash deliberately (supposedly), a move which drastically altered the race dynamics. This seemingly planned act provided an advantage to Piquet's teammate, Fernando Alonso, allowing him to navigate through the field and clinch the victory.

Simultaneously, Massa, who was in a leading position before the crash, encountered a pit stop mishap, causing him to finish without securing any points. The outcome of this race saw Lewis Hamilton win the drivers' championship by just one point over Massa.

Ecclestone had made headlines by allegedly stating that both he and the then FIA President, Max Mosley, had prior knowledge about the intentional nature of Piquet's crash but chose not to address it immediately. He said to F1-Insider in March:

"We wanted to protect the sport and save it from a huge scandal.

"At the time, the rule was that a World Cup ranking was untouchable after the FIA awards ceremony at the end of the year. So Hamilton was offered the trophy and everything was fine.

"I still feel sorry for Massa today.

"He won the final in his home race in Sao Paulo and did everything right. He was robbed of the title he deserved while Hamilton had all the luck in the world and won his first championship.

"Today I would have settled it differently. That is why, for me, Michael Schumacher is still the sole record holder. Even if the statistics say otherwise."

However, in a twist, Ecclestone has now appeared to backtrack on these claims. Speaking to Reuters, he expressed uncertainty about his previous statements, mentioning:

"I don't remember any of this, to be honest. I don't remember giving the interview, for sure."

Moreover, he clarified that neither Massa nor his legal team has reached out to him about this matter.