Massa legal battle over F1 2008 outcome could be thrown out before it begins

Felipe Massa is hoping to deliver his authorized problem towards Components 1, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone to trial after a date has been set for October – however it may by no means make it that far.

The former Ferrari driver is seeking damages having been narrowly overwhelmed to the F1 drivers’ title by Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

The claims are based mostly on the Singapore Grand Prix ‘Crashgate’ incident, which noticed Renault’s Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately slam into the boundaries to deliver out a security automobile and help team-mate Fernando Alonso in securing the victory.

Listed as a breach of contract declare, it’s slated to be heard on the King’s Bench Division of the Excessive Court docket, though Autosport understands there’s a strike-out utility which may see the case thrown out earlier than it begins.

The defendants (F1, FIA and Ecclestone) are more likely to have claimed there isn’t a substance to Massa’s case, which could possibly be linked to the speculative final result of the 2008 title combat and if the Singapore fallout ought to have been dealt with otherwise.

Massa finally missed out on the title by a single level, having completed down in thirteenth in Singapore after qualifying on pole and main the race earlier than Piquet’s misdemeanour.

Final 12 months, the Brazilian introduced he deliberate to take F1, FIA and Ecclestone to court docket after the latter gave an interview wherein he revealed that he and then-FIA president Max Mosley knew concerning the controversy surrounding Piquet’s crash earlier than the top of the 2008 season.

Ecclestone, who has since claimed he has no recollection of the interview, informed F1-Insider in April 2023: “In line with the statutes, we should always have cancelled the race in Singapore underneath these circumstances.

“Meaning it might by no means have occurred for the world championship standings. Then Felipe Massa would have develop into world champion and never Lewis Hamilton…as we speak I’d have organized issues otherwise.”

Ecclestone went on to say that he and Mosley didn’t take motion in order to not “hurt the picture” of F1 however has since admitted he understands why Massa has taken authorized motion.

These feedback will type the idea of Massa’s case, along with his defence claiming he was the sufferer of a conspiracy – not in relation to the Piquet incident in Singapore, however quite over the occasions that adopted.

Massa is searching for to overturn the results of the Singapore Grand Prix and now has his court docket date set, a 12 months and half after Ecclestone’s revelations first led to the 43-year-old starting authorized proceedings.

Felipe Massa within the paddock

Photograph by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Pictures

Talking final October, Massa stated: “I hope the right factor occurs, for justice, for one thing that was not a part of the game that punished me massive time.

“That is what we’re preventing for, which I consider is appropriate, particularly after 16 years and on listening to issues which you by no means thought it was actually like that.”