F1 News: Felipe Massa launches £150 MILLION lawsuit over controversial ‘cheated’ 2008 title

FIA, flag, 2023, generic — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 star launches £150 MILLION lawsuit over controversial ‘cheated’ title

Felipe Massa launches lawsuit over controversial 2008 title

Shay Rogers

Tuesday 12 March 2024 08:27

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Felipe Massa has lodged action in the High Court of Justice against the FIA, Formula One Management (FOM) and Bernie Ecclestone over the 2008 ‘crashgate’ scandal.

The Brazilian driver missed out on winning the drivers’ championship by one singular point to Lewis Hamilton in a historic 2008 season.

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At the Singapore Grand Prix that year, Nelson Piquet Jr purposefully crashed to bring out a safety car to aid Renault team-mate Fernando Alonso’s strategy.

The Spaniard went on to win the race, with the outcome of the championship affected by the manipulated result, as Hamilton finished higher than Massa, who had been leading the race until a pit stop error during the resulting safety car period.

In other words, if the results of the grand prix were disregarded, the Ferrari driver would have ended up as champion that year.

Reportedly, Massa is seeking between £60 million-£150 million in compensation as a result of the matter, having been angered at comments made by former F1 CEO Ecclestone.

Lewis Hamilton beat Felipe Massa to the 2008 F1 title

Bernie Ecclestone is a former F1 chief executive

Massa 'cheated out of title'

93-year-old Ecclestone was responsible for sparking Massa into action, having admitted that he and then-FIA president Max Mosley new about Renault's wrongdoing a lot sooner than they had investigated the matter, a matter which yielded fines and disqualifications for Renault.

Had the matter have been investigated straight away, the result of the race may well have been null and void, potentially giving Massa his first drivers' title.

“I still feel sorry for Massa today," Ecclestone said last year. "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.”

In response to a lack of progress with regards to the situation, Massa’s legal team released a statement as to why they are pursuing action.

"Mr Massa also seeks damages for the significant financial loss he has suffered due to the FIA's failure, in which Mr Ecclestone and FOM were also complicit.

“Attempts to find an amicable resolution have been unsuccessful, leaving Mr Massa with no choice but to initiate legal proceedings.”

Massa labelled his 2008 defeat as ‘fraudulent’ and ‘revolting’ after reflecting on how the matter had played out in October 2023.