Former F1 driver Timo Glock believes Max Verstappen could be stripped of his 2021 title with Felipe Massa challenging Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 title
Max Verstappen has been told that he could lose his 2021 F1 title amid Felipe Massa’s ongoing challenge of the 2008 World Championship won by Lewis Hamilton. Massa is taking on the F1 and FIA in court over ‘deliberate manipulation’ of the result by the Renault team.
Massa went on to lose the ’08 title in devastating circumstances that season, with Hamilton pipping him to his maiden world title in the last race of the season.
Massa had crossed the line and believed he had won the title, before Hamilton overtook Timo Glock at the very last corner to get into the position he needed to claim the championship at the death. Glock had to slow down towards the end of the race with the rain becoming worse, with Sebastian Vettel and Hamilton overtaking him.
And now, Glock believes that Massa challenging the ruling and him potentially winning a court case could see huge ramifications in other championships – including Verstappen’s victory over Hamilton in 2021.
Glock told PlanetF1.com: “Well, it’s a good question. I mean, I’m not 100% sure if it’s the right way to do it, let’s say. I was surprised when I saw it because, you know, after such a long time to go in front of court… I don’t know if it will work out for him. I mean, he knows what he’s doing. He knows the facts, I don’t know the facts, actually, what are the details of it.
So we will see. In the end, if he makes the step and even wins it, we could see another court facing maybe Lewis Hamilton against Max Verstappen.
“So I don’t know if it’s the right side for the sport. But, in the end, I’m not in all those details involved. So I don’t know. I was surprised when I saw that.”
Should Massa prevail in his legal challenge, Toto Wolff, the head of Mercedes, has already stated that he would think about a challenge for the 2021 championship.
Verstappen unlawfully passed Hamilton in that race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix due to a “human error” on the part of FIA race director Michael Masi. Following the event, Masi lost his position.