Former driver Felipe Massa has announced that he’s filed a lawsuit in London against the auto racing governing body, the FIA, Formula One Management (FOM), and Bernie Ecclestone in an attempt to claim the 2008 title.
Massa stated on Monday that he is also seeking a minimum of $82 million in damages, as per a document obtained by The Associated Press. This amount includes prize money he lost and potential deals he could have secured as an F1 champion.
The 42-year-old Brazilian, who previously raced for Ferrari and Williams, claims he should be recognized as the rightful 2008 champion due to the incident known as “Crashgate.” Massa finished as the runner-up to Lewis Hamilton by just one point.
In a statement, Massa explained that his case would be heard at the King’s Bench Division of the High Court. This decision follows months of preparatory steps, during which his lawyers requested responses from auto racing bodies regarding his public allegations of a breach of contract.
“I always said I was going to fight until the end,” Massa stated. “Since the FIA and FOM decided not to take any action, we will seek to correct this historical injustice in court. The matter is now in the hands of our lawyers, and they are fully authorized to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure justice in sports is served.”
The allegations stem from the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, where Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crashed to aid his then-Renault teammate Fernando Alonso in winning the race. Although the Renault team was ultimately penalized, the race results were upheld, leaving Massa unable to close the gap in the championship race.
Massa’s filing seeks “a declaration that the FIA acted in breach of its own regulations by failing to promptly investigate the crash in 2008” and “a declaration that had the FIA not breached its own regulations, it would have canceled or adjusted the results of the Singapore Grand Prix, resulting in Mr. Massa winning the drivers’ championship in 2008.”
The document also accuses the defendants of causing significant financial loss to Massa. The FIA declined to comment on the matter, while FOM did not respond to the AP’s request for comment. Ecclestone could not be immediately reached for comment.
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In an interview with the AP in August, Massa indicated that he had further evidence to support his case and mentioned the possibility of filing additional lawsuits related to the same incident in other countries.
As the case unfolds, Massa has received support from some drivers, although many have chosen to remain silent on the matter. Despite the challenges, Massa remains steadfast in his pursuit of justice.