The 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix held at the iconic Interlagos circuit will always stand out as one of the most heartbreaking moments in Formula 1 history, particularly for Brazilian fans. Felipe Massa, racing in front of his home crowd, was on the cusp of becoming the first Brazilian to win the world championship since the legendary Ayrton Senna.
The then-Ferrari driver had done everything perfectly that weekend as he bagged pole position and then comfortably won the race. And for a few brief moments, as he crossed the chequered flag, he was mathematically the champion.
However, in a dramatic twist, Massa’s main championship contender, Lewis Hamilton, overtook Toyota’s Timo Glock in the final corners on the very last lap, finishing fifth and securing enough points to take home his maiden world title by just a single point.
It is a rare feat to win a world title on home soil, and Massa was as close as one could get to it. Naturally, this was not just a personal loss but a national heartbreak. What made things worse was the way the Ferrari crew began celebrating in that brief moment until Hamilton made that pass on Glock.
Canal+ did a special feature, a dramatic retelling of Brazil 2008’s final laps, with interviews from Felipe Massa, Norbert Haug, TV presenters, and the F1 cameraman who recorded Lewis’ family during the race.
[Added English subtitles – with translation help from @bonotired] pic.twitter.com/6OnW7AfRFz
— sim (@simsgazette) April 26, 2025
In a feature for Canal+, Brazilian sports journalist Fabio Seixas compared Massa’s defeat to the soccer loss the nation faced during the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Back then, Brazil’s national soccer team suffered a shocking defeat to Uruguay in the final at Rio’s Maracanã Stadium.
“I often say that it [Brazil 2008] was the Maracanazo of Formula 1,” he said. In fact, for Seixas, it was worse. “That year, it was even worse, because for a few seconds, the Brazilians celebrated Felipe Massa’s title,” he adds.
For Massa, that loss is still a bitter pill to swallow. He believes that the Crashgate scandal at that year’s Singapore GP was the reason why he lost out to Hamilton eventually.
Hence, the former Ferrari and Williams driver has sued the FIA and the sport for a sum of around $125 million. He also wants them to get the official records straight and name him the 2008 champion.
Despite being the bearer of that bad news in 2008, Hamilton has been warmly embraced by the Brazilians. In fact, back in 2021, he was awarded honorary Brazilian citizenship, a testament to the nation’s recognition of his talent and contributions to the sport.
Moreover, Massa also has repeatedly said that he has nothing against Hamilton and that he just wants justice. The now 44-year-old believes it is important for him to fight for what is write, as he does not want to see someone else suffer what he did more than a decade ago.
