Motor racing-Massa takes action against F1, FIA, Ecclestone in London High Court

Liberty Media

11/03/2024 17:23

By Alan Baldwin
       LONDON, March 11 (Reuters) - Former Ferrari driver
Felipe Massa has launched legal action against the sport's
management, former commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the
governing FIA over the outcome of the 2008 world championship,
his lawyers said on Monday.
    Brazilian law firm Vieira Rezende Advogados said in a
statement that proceedings had been initiated in the London High
Court.
    Formula One Management (FOM) and the Paris-based
International Automobile Federation would not comment on the
move when contacted by Reuters.
    Reuters was unable to locate a record of a lawsuit brought
by Massa on the electronic filing system for London's High
Court.
    Massa, 42, is seeking declarations that the FIA breached its
own regulations and he would have been champion had it
immediately investigated a Singapore Grand Prix crash that
subsequently became one of the sport's biggest scandals.
    Britain's Lewis Hamilton, now a seven-times world champion
and at the time in his second season with McLaren, won that
title -- his first.
    Massa also wants compensation for "considerable financial
losses" resulting from what the lawyers said was the failure of
the FIA, with Ecclestone and Formula One Management complicit.
    The lawyers' statement referred to an Ecclestone quote
stating that there had not been "enough information at that time
to investigate the matter" and cancel the race in 2008.
    It quoted the Briton, now 93, as saying also that if the 
Singapore race had been cancelled, "Massa would have been world
champion" and the Brazilian "was deprived of the title he
deserved".
    Ecclestone told Reuters last August he could not remember
saying the quotes attributed to him.
    "Attempts to resolve the matter amicably have not been
successful so far, leaving, therefore, no alternative but to
take the issue to court," the law firm said.
    "Recent events highlight the continued relevance of issues
of transparency and integrity in Formula One, and it is clear
that serious work is needed to restore its credibility and
secure its long-term future."
    Massa was leading the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix from pole
position when fellow Brazilian Nelson Piquet Jr crashed into the
wall on lap 14 of 61.
    The crash triggered the safety car and benefited Piquet's
Renault team mate Fernando Alonso, who won the race. Massa
failed to score after a bungled pitstop.
    Piquet revealed in 2009 that he had been told to crash by 
team bosses, who were subsequently banned.
    Hamilton won the 2008 title by a single point from Massa
after an overtake on the last lap of the final race of that
season in Brazil.
    Massa did not win again after 2008, with the Brazilian
suffering a near-fatal head injury at the 2009 Hungarian Grand
Prix. He retired in 2017.          

 (Additional reporting by Sam Tobin, editing by...)
 ((alan.baldwin@thomsonreuters.com; +442075427933;))