October 9, 2024

The Brazilian cheat helped Hamilton win the title

2 min read
The Brazilian cheat helped Hamilton win the title

The same Nelcinio Pique, That yesterday (12) went to social media to provoke Lewis Hamilton and celebrate the Formula 1 World title From his brother-in-law Max Verstappen, he provided indirect assistance to the English driver’s first title, now at Mercedes. And it was with cheating.

This episode took place in 2008, which negatively affected Nelsenio’s motorsport career and was named “Singapuragate”. At the time, the Brazilian driver was at Renault, and on the 15th lap of the Singapore Grand Prix, he deliberately crashed the car to force the safety car into and benefit his teammate, Fernando Alonso.

Flavio Briatore, between Nelcinio Piqué and Fernando Alonso, in the Renault-Renault-Renault days

Flavio Briatore, between Nelcinio Pique and Fernando Alonso, in the days of Renault

Photo: Renault

The fraud emerged the following year, and investigations revealed a design designed by then-Renault chief Flavio Briatore, and Pat Symonds, engineering director for the French team.

Nilsinho threw the case at the FIA’s direction fan once he was faced with Renault’s resignation, in 2009.

The situation affected Lewis Hamilton’s life because it was Felipe Massa who drove the race when Nilcino threw the car into the wall.

Alonso cut three laps before Nelcino “accident”. As a result, it took advantage of the anticipation of changing tires and width, prompting other drivers to slip into the boxes while entering the safety car.

Felipe Massa, of course, was one of them. But, in addition to wasting time regarding Alonso, Ferrari’s Brazilian station was in historical disarray, as he left with the car when the gas hose was still attached to the single seat. The scene was absurd. Massa, in the pits, with a damaged and hanging duct piece, while Ferrari mechanics ran behind the car to remove the stuck hose portion.

Massa thus lost a lot of time and finished the race outside the scoring zone in 13th place. The plan worked, and Alonso won. On the radio, to keep up with appearances, Nelsenio even sent “sorry guys” on the radio. Hamilton, who finished second when the plane crashed Nilsenio, finished third.

Thinking of the championship standings, Hamilton scored six points. mass, nothing. After the last race of the season, at Interlagos, the difference between the two ended by one point: 98 to 97. Thus, Lewis Hamilton, then at McLaren, won his first world title. For Massa, it was a frustration like no other, winning the race in Sao Paulo and briefly becoming world champion, but seeing Hamilton outsmart Timo Glock on the last lap.

The Singapore scandal led to a life ban on Flavio Briatore – who had already been fired from Renault before the sentencing. Pat Symonds got away with it for five years. Nelsenio, for cooperating with the investigation, was not punished. But he needed to pursue his career on the slopes far from Formula 1.

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