Ferrari warned their own F1 driver over criticising Fernando Alonso

Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa revealed the F1 team warned him against criticising Fernando Alonso after ‘Crashgate’ in 2008.

The Brazilian delivered his witness statement at court in London, where he is bringing a £64million damages claim against Formula One Management, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone.

Massa argued he missed out on the 2008 drivers’ title because of the points he lost at the Singapore Grand Prix, where Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed his Renault, known as ‘Crashgate’.

Alonso won the race at the Marina Bay Circuit, and Massa claimed to journalists a year after the race that he was convinced the Spaniard knew what had happened, but he received a letter from Ferrari trying to ban him from speaking about the situation.

Massa delivers witness statement

Speaking in his witness statement, Massa said: "In October 2009 I also told journalists that I believed Fernando Alonso [Piquet Jr’s crash] knew it was on purpose.

"When Ferrari found out, GSA (the firm who handled the team's contracts) wrote me a letter on 16 October 2009 reprimanding me about making public comments about Fernando Alonso.

"I found out before my accident in July 2009 that Alonso would drive for Ferrari in the 2010 F1 season.

"The letter was signed by Henry Peter (a Ferrari lawyer). Ferrari then drafted a statement for me to issue but I refused to make that statement. Instead, I just said that it was time to look to the future."

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