Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes that Felipe Massa’s lawsuit against the FIA, Formula One and himself involving the 2008 Singapore GP is “the right thing to do”.
Over six months after launching legal proceedings against the governing body, F1 and Ecclestone, Massa and his team of lawyers confirmed the action this week when they filed the lawsuit in the London High Court.
It has long been established that Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed in the Singapore GP to trigger a Safety Car that played straight into the hands of his teammate Fernando Alonso who went on to win the race.
Lewis Hamilton’s third-place finish at Marina Bay allowed the McLaren driver to pip Massa to the title by a single point at F1’s season finale in Brazil.
The race and its ‘Crashgate’ scandal were related to F1’s history books until last year, when new revelations from Ecclestone himself, suggesting race officials were aware of the scheme, reignited Massa's desire for justice.
However, the 93-year-old later backtracked on these comments, stating that he had no recollection of the interview in which they were made.
Massa’s lawsuit specifically targets the FIA for failing to properly investigate the incident at the time, and Formula One – meaning Ecclestone – for potentially turning a blind eye to the scandal to avoid bringing the sport into disrepute.
This week, following the confirmation of Massa’s lawsuit, Ecclestone offered his reaction to the news.
"If he had asked me, I would have said it was the complete right thing to do, to sue, and to let an English judge decide what is right and wrong,” he told the PA news Agency.
“I cannot say anything about the outcome and what will happen.
"I have not got a clue, I don’t think anyone has, but from his point of view, it is better that an English judge comes up with a verdict. It will be of more help for him.”
It is indeed anybody’s guess how the case will pan out.
Overturning a world championship outcome after the official FIA gala is a monumental hurdle. The FIA's statutes act as the rulebook for Formula One, and they're quite clear: once the championship trophies are awarded at the glamorous end-of-season ceremony, there are no longer any legal grounds to overturn events.
However, according to a report from motorsport.com, the papers filed this week by Massa’s lawyers do not mention stripping Hamilton of his 2008 title and handing it to the Brazilian.
Instead, the court documents focus on the financial damages Massa claims to have suffered due to the FIA's and F1's alleged mishandling of the situation.
This includes a lost championship bonus of €2 million from Ferrari, his inability to leverage his world title and command a hefty retainer from a team and sponsors in the years that followed, and missed sponsorship and commercial opportunities.
The estimated pre-interest loss, according to the lawsuit, is a staggering £64 million (approximately $81 million), with the exact sum to be determined by expert evidence.
Beyond the financial compensation, Massa seeks two key declarations. Firstly, he wants the FIA to acknowledge that they breached their own regulations by failing to properly investigate the Singapore Grand Prix crash.
Secondly, he desires a declaration stating that had the FIA not breached its own regulations, then it could have cancelled or adjusted the race’s results, potentially making him the 2008 F1 world champion.
In summary, Massa's lawsuit hinges on the alleged failure of the FIA and FOM to follow established procedures.
Additionally, the lawsuit suggests that Ecclestone, presumably aware of these regulations, made an improper decision by allegedly choosing not to initiate an investigation.
The lawsuit further implies a potential conspiracy between FOM and the FIA. Massa suggests they prioritized preventing a scandal that might damage Formula One over a proper investigation into the Singapore crash.
He argues for a thorough investigation at the time of the incident, even if it meant delaying the FIA's end-of-season gala.
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