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Felipe Massa has been making a strong case for the 2008 title to be awarded to him, despite Lewis Hamilton winning it on track. However, while comparing his loss to Hamilton’s heartbreaking 2021 Abu Dhabi fiasco, Massa insisted that the two situations are completely different.

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Massa feels that for Hamilton to get his 2021 title back, he needs to prove that it was a mistake. In the Track Limits podcast, Massa said, “For sure they need to prove it was a mistake. And if it was a mistake, for sure they have the complete possibility to fight.”

Massa went on to describe why he has a stronger claim to the 2008 title than Hamilton does to 2021. According to him, the entire Crashgate scandal was planned, wrong, and proven to the world. The results of the race where the infamous scandal took place, should have been null and void. With that, Massa would be the rightful world champion of 2008.

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Unfortunately for Massa, getting the title would be difficult. After the prize-giving ceremony, it isn’t possible to review the results of the races that led to it. Consequently, the former Ferrari driver is now reported to be happy with a hefty financial compensation. For Hamilton too, getting the 2021 title is near impossible, even though he never formally asked the FIA to give it to him.

Massa, however, labeled a way Mercedes and Hamilton could make a strong claim.

How Lewis Hamilton can challenge the Abu Dhabi 2021 result

The 2021 Abu Dhabi GP’s ending was marred by then-Race Director Michael Masi’s questionable decisions, which effectively allowed Max Verstappen to overtake Hamilton on the final lap. Massa brought out a controversial hypothesis, that could help Mercedes’s cause.

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In the podcast, Massa talks about the possibility of Red Bull paying Masi. If there is a way this can be proved, then Hamilton has every right to go for the title he lost. But since that is not the case, he feels his situation is completely different.

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Hamilton lost out on his eighth title that evening in Abu Dhabi. And life in F1 hasn’t been the same for him or Mercedes since. Heading into 2025, the seven-time world champion will be looking to make amends with his new team, Ferrari.