It’s been more than fifteen years since the infamous Singapore Grand Prix — Formula 1’s very first night race — yet for Massa, that race still represents very much an unresolved story.

The story seemed to have been put to rest over the years — at least until 2023, when an interview given by then-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone to F1-Insider reignited the spark of a controversial case that, even today, continues to stir debate among fans and insiders alike.

The former F1 Supremo since said that he did not recall the interview. He told The Times: "This was an interview I gave to someone in Germany and the guy at the time, his English wasn’t that good and he was taking notes, and it was picked up by someone in England.”

The deployment of the Safety Car at that moment, with the Brazilian leading the race, marked the beginning of a sporting nightmare for Massa. He was leading in his Ferrari, but as he exited the pit lane after his stop, the fuel rig was still attached, costing him crucial seconds and earning him a drive-through penalty for an unsafe release.

This mishap pushed him out of the points, while his championship rival finished third, collecting crucial points that ultimately decided the title — which, in the end, came down to a single point at Interlagos.

At the end of that race, Hamilton was seven points ahead with three races remaining, while Massa had been leading the championship up until the moment of the incident.

For this reason, Massa sees that unfortunate day and dramatic Sunday — from a sporting perspective — as the turning point that cost him the title, even if the two events were not directly linked.

The pit lane incident could clearly have been avoided with more caution, yet that does not diminish the fact that what happened with Renault was an episode that should never have occurred. It ultimately left an indelible mark on that championship and tarnished the reputations of many prominent figures in the paddock, particularly within the French team, but beyond as well.

It’s also worth noting that, had that race truly been annulled, Massa would likely have secured the World Championship comfortably under the old points system, and the season might have taken a very different course, with Hamilton chasing him instead.

The battle now continues nearly two decades later in courtrooms, with Massa and his legal team on one side and the FIA, Bernie Ecclestone, and FOM on the other.

The 2008 Crashgate case isn’t the only legal battle the FIA is facing at the moment.

It is joined by the dispute with Susie Wolff over a conflict-of-interest issue that emerged last year, as well as the recent lawsuit filed by FIA presidential candidate Laura Villars regarding the current rules that prevent her and others from mounting a genuine challenge to the incumbent president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, claiming that the system "blocks democratic participation."

A total of three major lawsuits now confront the governing body, just over a month before the elections that will decide the next president — or, as seems far more likely at this point, the reappointment of the Emirati incumbent.