Felipe Massa has filed a lawsuit against the FIA, Formula One Management (FOM) and Bernie Ecclestone over the ‘Crashgate’ scandal at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Former Ferrari racer Massa came up one point short against Lewis Hamilton, then driving for McLaren, in an intense fight to win the 2008 F1 Drivers’ World Championship.
However, the Brazilian has been exhausting options to get the result of that season’s race in Singapore voided, which would have overturned his narrow title defeat.
Fernando Alonso had taken the win for Renault, but it transpired that select people had hatched a plan for Nelson Piquet Jr to crash deliberately to cause a Safety Car.
Massa had been primed to triumph in Singapore’s maiden F1 race. However, a fumbled pit stop with the refuelling hose saw him fail to score as Hamilton took second.
But Massa’s desire to pursue legal action derived from an alleged interview that Ecclestone gave detailing that there had been evidence at the time to investigate the race.
While Ecclestone later denied having said that, Massa’s representatives announced last October it had granted the FIA and FOM a one-month extension to their investigation.
The saga has now taken a further twist with confirmation from Massa’s legal team that a lawsuit against the relevant parties has been made in the London High Court.
“Mr Massa is seeking declarations that the FIA breached its regulations by failing to promptly investigate Nelson Piquet Junior’s crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix and that had it acted properly,” a statement from Brazilian law firm Vieira Rezende Advogados read.
“Mr Massa would have won the Drivers’ Championship that year.
“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’s next course of action comes amid allegations that FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem was involved in overturning a penalty given to Alonso last season.
The Spaniard lost a podium finish at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when Aston Martin was alleged to have touched his car at a pitstop prior to being permitted to.
Meanwhile, the same whistleblower also claimed that Ben Sulayem attempted to prevent the Las Vegas Strip Circuit from being homologated to host its inaugural race.
The statement added: “Recent events naturally demonstrate that issues of transparency and integrity in Formula 1 remain relevant, and it is clear that serious work is needed to restore its credibility and long-term future.”
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