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Former F1 driver Felipe Massa is seeking up to $82 million in damages following his lawsuit against the FIA and Formula One Management, in regard to his championship loss in the 2008 season. Lewis Hamilton had managed to clinch the title by one point that season in Brazil, marking the end of a long battle for the championship.
Weeks before the final showdown in Brazil, Felipe Massa was comfortably leading the Singapore GP. This was the same race where the infamous Crashgate scandal happened, when Renault commanded Nelson Piquet Jr to deliberately crash into the wall, giving his teammate, Fernando Alonso, the advantage to win the race. The race ended with Massa in P13, and this was one of the deciding moments in the championship.
However, the scandal was uncovered later. Bernie Ecclestone, who was the sport's CEO at the time, revealed in 2023 that F1 did not take any action against the scandal to save the sport. Massa then made headlines as he revealed taking legal proceedings against the FIA, Formula One Management, and Bernie Ecclestone.
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A recent report from The Times revealed that Felipe Massa is seeking up to $82 million in damages. Had Massa won the Singapore Grand Prix, which he was leading before Piquet's deliberate crash, the chances of him winning the 2008 Drivers' Championship would have increased significantly.
Felipe Massa's lawsuit hearing scheduled for next month
A hearing in the High Court of the United Kingdom next month. As per PlanetF1's report, the hearing will be scheduled on the 28th of October. This could be a major risk for Formula 1's shareholders, as any discrepancy regarding the 2008 season, especially the Crashgate scandal, can hurt the sport's image.
However, Felipe Massa has a different concern. Speaking to The Times, he mentioned that the sport's authorities, who are responsible for keeping a check on such issues, did not fulfil their duties. Hence, the lawsuit.
"Accountability is key to preventing future fraud," Massa said. "Those entrusted with protecting the sport directly violated their duties, and they cannot be allowed to benefit from concealing their own misconduct. Such conduct is unacceptable in any sphere of life, especially in a sport followed by millions, including children."
2008 was the only season Massa had the close call of winning the championship. He won the race in Brazil, almost winning the championship by a very small margin; however, a final overtake from Lewis Hamilton put him one point ahead. Although Felipe Massa raced in F1 till the end of the 2017 season, he never managed to win another Grand Prix.
