Former Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa’s ongoing legal claim against former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One Management and the FIA faces a delay in determining whether it can continue. After a three-day hearing, Mr Justice Jay confirmed, “Judgment will be reserved to be handed down at a future date.”
The ex-Ferrari driver is seeking £64million in damages for loss of earnings and sponsorship as he argues that he is the rightful winner of the 2008 F1 championship, which he lost to Lewis Hamilton by just one point. The Brazilian driver claims that the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, which was the centre of the infamous Crashgate, directly influenced the outcome of the championship.
Massa claims a breach of contract or duty. His lawyers argue that Ecclestone was aware that Nelson Piquet Jr’s crash during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix was deliberate and that he and the FIA failed to investigate it. Ecclestone, the FIA and FOM deny the claims.
Ecclestone’s lawyer David Quest KC said Massa’s arguments “are a misguided attempt to reopen the results of the 2008 F1 Drivers’ Championship,” in a written statement.
Felipe Massa on the grid
Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images
“It’s pretty clear that we are going to finish just when we have a result that we believe is correct for the justice of the sport,” Massa explained to Motorsport.com’s Brazilian-language sister website in 2023.
“That’s why we decided to get together a very big and important legal team. I’m doing that for the sport, I’m doing that to show that manipulation is not part of our sport.
“I’m not doing that for money, I’m doing that for the justice of the sport. So, whatever people trying to write about the money is completely wrong.
“Compensation definitely exists. For example, now I’m spending a lot of money on that case but definitely I’m not doing that [for the money].”
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