If Massa wins the title will it be tainted by the Spa controversy? (Poll)
Felipe Massa's inherited win at Spa has kept him in the title battle
In the run-up to the final race of the season several people have left comments here pointing out that Lewis Hamilton would already be champion had he not received that infamous penalty at Spa-Francorchamps.
Without it the drivers’ championship would already be over. Is that a good thing or not?
Should the drivers’ championship be over already?
Everyone likes a closely-fought championship and a title battle that goes down to the final race.
But because of the controversial penalty Hamilton received at Spa if Massa wins the title now it will be impossible for him to say he would have done it without the six-point swing in his favour the stewards handed him at Spa.
It’s a suggestion that will surely find little support among Massa’s fans – especially givent he problems he’s had this year. But for others it may undermine Massa’s credentials as champion should he win the title.
We’ve been here before
The situation reminds me of the 1982 title-decider. On that occasion John Watson battled Keke Rosberg for the championship at the final round.
Watson’s championship had been boosted by six points gained at Brazil by finishing second. Rosberg had originally been second in that race, but was disqualified for running below the weight limit by using so-called ‘water cooled brakes’ to get around the rules.
Watson’s car infringed the rules in the same way in that race, yet he was not disqualified. As Rosberg ultimately won the title, it didn’t matter. But, much like this year, one driver faced the possibility of losing the title due to a stewards’ decision that many felt was dodgy.
Your verdict
Some might argue the penalty decision is simply bad luck for Hamilton – and Massa has had plenty of misfortune of his own.
Others might simply be glad the penalty means the drivers’ title has gone down to the wire – however it was achieved.
But many people felt Hamilton’s penalty was excessive, including 70% of F1 Fanatic readers (a figure which can’t entirely be down to nationality, as British readership of this site is around 35%). So might they feel Massa’s claim to be a worthy champion is undermined by the controversial decision in his favour at Spa?
Cast your vote and leave a comment below.
Would the Spa penalty diminish Massa’s status as champion?
- Yes (60%)
- No (37%)
- No opinion (3%)
Total Voters: 416
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- McLaren claims the FIA mis-represented its own steward in Lewis Hamilton trial
- Lewis Hamilton’s appeal fails and Felipe Massa keeps Belgian Grand Prix win
Marko said on 1st November 2008, 10:15
I voted yes, for SPA, Burdais, for not penalizing Massa at Valencia for unsafe release from pit-stop etc.
Santiago said on 1st November 2008, 10:31
No way, as last year I did not say anything about Kimmi despite the 5 places penaty in Hungary FA got from the FIA for breaking, what rule?. I also do agree with the penalty Lewis got in Spa.
And do not forget that despite all what happened this season Lewis has by now 7 points lead on Massa, and has not FA 4 points behind this time. If he is not Champion (something I doubt very much)is because he cannot handle with pressure.
michael counsell said on 1st November 2008, 10:41
No because while in some ways Massa has been lucky he has also been very unlucky with engine failures and botched pitstops.
zerogee said on 1st November 2008, 10:41
I say yes, but not just Spa. Every penalty where Ferrari have ‘got away with it’ as much as McLaren have been, shall we say, unlucky, would taint a Massa championship, the same way Lewis’ being champion last year would have been tainted by spygate.
If Lewis wins, it will be a vindication of McLaren’s mettle – $100m down and still winning a championship. Not that they would be operating on $100m less, but psychologically, it would have been a bit hit.
Santiago said on 1st November 2008, 10:46
Anyway, I do not think any of them are deserving champions, only the one who less mistakes made. But that is another point to reach.
Kester said on 1st November 2008, 11:51
@Gusto
Perhaps because it was the FIA that penalised Hamilton and not himself or Ferrari.
The FIA choose to deem Hamilton’s move as illegal, whether you agree with that or not it doesn’t matter. Hamilton was docked points, and that’s all, it doesn’t devalue Massa if he wins the Championship.
Lewis has also got away with quite a lot this season. Take Monza as an example.
Too Good said on 1st November 2008, 12:08
@Sumedh – Amen
Sports and Controversies go hand in hand, sometimes makes one feel that its all an elaborate hoax. F1 has been more notorius for random interpretation of rules .
But still all of us spend 2-3 hrs every racing weekend to watch it (not to mention 20-30 hrs between race to chew on the bones) :D
So why all this crib. F1 is indeed case of failed marriage where the couples (read FIA/FOM/Team, TEAMS/DRIVERS, FIA/FOM/FANS) squabble, spat at each other in public forums, and still end up in same bed every night :D
beneboy said on 1st November 2008, 12:11
No.
If Massa manages to win the Championship this weekend then he deserves to be Champion, just as Lewis will be a deserving Champion if he wins.
I disagree with the penalty at Spa and many other decisions that the FIA & stewards have made this year but you can’t blame Felipe for their decisions going his way at times. The blame lies solely with the FIA.
Both drivers have made mistakes this year & have suffered problems that weren’t their fault but they have still managed to beat the rest of the drivers out there.
Keith R said on 1st November 2008, 12:32
Voting ‘yes’ is NOT a comment upon the individual virtues or otherwise of a driver. It is a comment that stewards’ decisions have undermined the ‘simple purity’ of the sport and especially so when such decision/s are extremely debateable as to their correctness.
If a stewards’ decision materially affects the outcome of the championship(after the race/s), when a given driver could not themselves and with their own skills create that effect,then it is nonsense to postulate that the championship itself has not been devalued.
Drivers seek to win by skill and I guess no driver can really have pride in the win when such circumstances undermine their skill.
Rahzam said on 1st November 2008, 12:49
Hamilton has 7 points advantage. If he still looses this championship then he is the biggest loser. Why are you looking for excuses?
Whoever gets the championship trophy is the worthy champion.
GeorgeK said on 1st November 2008, 13:08
It’s simple, really. If one is a Ferrari and/or Felipe fan his winning the title will be as pure as the driven snow. If one is a McLaren/Lewis fan it will be forever tainted by the Spa screwing Lewis received.
Objectively? Enough has gone around this year for both sides to claim taint. What really matters is the on track action tomorrow. Clean runs by both drivers and no meddling from the Stoopids will give validity to whichever driver comes home with the spoils.
Good luck to both and a great contest for all to witness.
John Spencer said on 1st November 2008, 15:22
If Massa wins then some of us will rant and rave for longer than is good for us, but history only remembers the records, not the controversy. There have been a number of controversial championships in the past half century or so, but who can remember which they were?
Wesley said on 1st November 2008, 16:26
If Massa busts his butt to get this win and Lewis can’t get his McMerc into the top five then,Lewis does not deserve the title and Massa does……and next year Alonso will beat them both.
Lustigson said on 3rd November 2008, 8:02
On many a website and forum, I read remarks about Felipe Massa not being a deserved World Champion. However, now that we have Lewis Hamilton as winner, how deserving is he? I’m not saying I don’t rate the guy, but he and his McLaren team have made an alarming amount of mistakes in 2008:
(a) Crash into Alonso’s car in Bahrain
(b) Crash into Räikkönen’s car in the pit lane in Canada
(c) Drive-through penalty because of gaining an unfair advantage while overtaking Vettel in France
(d) Over-confident manoeuvre on Räikkönen in Japan, sliding off the track 2 corners later, and the subsequent drive-through penalty
(e) Many small mistakes in the last laps in Brazil, letting Vettel slip by, and taking the title only in the dying minutes, after what I think was a rather lucky, overtaking manoeuvre onTimo Glock in the last corner of the last lap of the last race
In fact, hadn’t Hamilton been so lucky in Monaco, he and McLaren would have screwed up there, too.
Don’t get me wrong, Massa has done stupid things, too, this season, but saying he’d deserve the title less than Hamilton, is like saying Räikkönen would have deserved the 2003 or 2005 WDCs less, because of McLaren’s and Mercedes’ erors during those respective season.
Just my 2¢…