'Singapore was like a match where they pay the referee' - Felipe Massa

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http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/oct/10/felipe-massa-ferrari-formula-one

Ferrari's unsung hero Felipe Massa blames what happened in the Singapore Grand Prix in 2008 for missing out on the title, but now he wants to look forward and find a team where he is No1.

Felipe Massa has announced that he would rather not drive next season than be forced to play second fiddle to another driver.

He almost took the title in 2008 and he remains outspoken in his condemnation of the cheating at Singapore that season which he believes really cost him.

"Maybe the race I feel that we lost the championship was Singapore. What happened in Singapore is unacceptable, it cannot happen, I lost the championship there."

Massa had started from pole in Singapore and had built up a three-second lead over Hamilton when Nelson Piquet Jr's Renault crashed and brought out the safety car, at which point Massa pitted. His crew prematurely released him from the box with the fuel hose still attached and farce ensued as they chased him down the pit lane trying to remove it.

Piquet subsequently revealed he had been ordered to crash by his team to improve the chances of his team-mate Alonso, who won the race. Massa rejoined at the back and was then given a drive-through for unsafe release and finished 13th – out of the points – while Hamilton finished third with six.

"What happened there is like in football when you have a match where they pay the referee," said Massa. "We see matches in football where they see they pay the referee and the team that loses goes to court. In Formula One nothing happens."