Bernie Ecclestone considers Michael Schumacher the only seven-time F1 world champion and has explained why Lewis Hamilton does not deserve to share his record.
Mercedes driver Hamilton faces an uphill battle to seal a record-breaking eighth world title this year and eclipse the esteemed record he currently shares with the German icon.
And it would be understandable if Hamilton still harbours lingering frustration from being denied his eighth world crown in controversial circumstances in his dramatic title battle with Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi in 2021.
But former F1 supremo Ecclestone believes Hamilton is 'lucky' to have won seven championships and insists his former Ferrari rival Felipe Massa was 'robbed' when the Brit won his maiden world title in 2008.
Hamilton became the youngest F1 world champion at the time of his incredible success with McLaren 15 years ago. But 92-year-old Ecclestone has now opened up on the 'Crashgate' scandal that he thinks ultimately resulted in the world championship going in Hamilton's favour.
During the Singapore Grand Prix in 2008, Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed to help his Renault teammate Fernando Alonso win the race. Piquet Jr's intentions of sabotage only transpired a year later following an FIA investigation, but the incident was seen as a decisive factor in the title race as Massa missed out on crucial points and the race results were upheld.
Former F1 boss Ecclestone has now explained how he and then-FIA President Max Mosley were desperate to avoid the Renault scandal becoming public knowledge during the season.
"Max and I were informed during the 2008 season about what had happened in the race in Singapore," Ecclestone told F1 Insider.
"Piquet Jr had told his father Nelson that he had been asked by the team to deliberately drive into the wall at a certain point in time in order to trigger a safety car phase and help his team-mate Alonso. We decided not to do anything for the time being. We wanted to protect the sport and save it from a huge scandal."
He added: "There was a rule at the time that a world championship ranking was untouchable after the FIA awards ceremony at the end of the year. So Hamilton was presented with the World Championship trophy and everything was fine."
However, had the results from the Singapore Grand Prix been nullified following the investigation, the outcome of the Drivers' Championship could have changed. And regretful Ecclestone still has sympathy for Massa, who was edged out by Hamilton despite winning the final race of the season at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
"I still feel sorry for Massa today," Ecclestone admitted. "He won his final at his home race in Sao Paulo, did everything right. He was cheated out of the title he deserved, while Hamilton had all the luck in the world and won his first championship.
"Today I would have handled it differently. That's why, for me, Michael Schumacher is still the sole record world champion. Even if the statistics say otherwise."
