A dramatic race unfolded at the Marina Bay Circuit when Nelson Piquet Jr crashed on turn 17 of lap 14. This event brought out a safety car, which coincidentally was just after Fernando Alonso pitted. Following the safety car, an influx of cars headed into the pitlane, which leapfrogged Alonso into clean air in P5. During these pit stops, Massa’s Ferrari F2008 was prematurely released, still connected to the fuel hose. Inevitably, the Ferrari driver was forced to stop before pit exit, taking valuable time for the pit crew to reach him and disconnect the hose. This was detrimental to his race as he pulled out in P20.
Adding insult to injury, Massa received a 10-second stop go penalty for an unsafe release. Furthermore, Robert Kubica and Nico Rosberg also received penalties for refuelling when the pitlane was closed due to Massa’s issue.
There was a clear issue with fuelling within the sport, as David Coulthard also had difficulties with his fuel hose. However, the Red Bull fortunately escaped this potential hazard. Refuelling during an F1 race is no longer permitted, potentially due to the cumulative effect of both Massa and Coulthard.
The events of the Singapore 2008 Grand Prix are still discussed to this day. Massa and his legal team filed a lawsuit against the FIA due to the heartbreak suffered during this race.
There were varied speculations regarding the actual events of the race. Did Piquet Jr purposely crash? Did Renault plan this crash for Alonso to take the win? Dramatically, during the 2009 season, these speculations were cleared up when Renault admitted in an FIA investigation that Piquet deliberately crashed. This sparked outrage due to the unsportsmanlike behaviour that occurred to gain Alonso the win. This is where the term ‘crashgate’ originated.
What is your opinion on the crashgate scandal? Do you think Renaults ban and suspension for two years was long enough? Should Alonso have also received a punishment?
Written by Frankie.
Featured Image Credit: Motorsport.com
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