Did Massa Really Lose the 2008 Title in Japan? A Look Back at One of F1’s Most Chaotic Races

Felipe Massa of Brazil and Ferrari drives during practice for the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at the Fuji Speedway on October 10, 2008 in Shizuoka, Japan. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

The 2008 Formula 1 season remains one of the most dramatic and debated in the sport’s history, thanks in large part to the chaos that unfolded at several key Grands Prix.

While the infamous Singapore Grand Prix often takes center stage — thanks to the deliberate crash orchestrated by Renault to benefit Fernando Alonso — it’s the Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji that quietly may have been just as decisive in shaping the championship’s final outcome.

Held at Fuji Speedway for the second year in a row, the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix came during a critical phase of the title race. With only three races to go, Lewis Hamilton held a slim seven-point lead over Felipe Massa. It wasn’t insurmountable, and Massa had everything to race for. But what followed was a blend of misjudgment, misfortune, and the kind of drama that only Formula 1 can deliver.

From the outset, it all started to unravel. Hamilton, who had secured pole, botched his start and then committed a rookie-style error into Turn 1, locking up and sending both himself and Kimi Räikkönen wide. Massa was also forced off track but managed to rejoin just ahead of the McLaren and Ferrari pair.

But the tension boiled over a few corners later when Massa clumsily collided…