Twenty years after the Singapore scandal, Felipe Massa wins a first round in court against the FIA, Bernie Ecclestone and Formula One Management.
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Felipe Massa has just won an important first step in his long legal battle surrounding the famous Crashgate of 2008. The High Court in London has indeed ordered the FIA, Bernie Ecclestone and Formula One Management (FOM) to pay 315 000 dollars to the former Ferrari driver for legal costs.
This decision is part of a broader action in which Massa is claiming 80 million dollars in damages. The former driver is contesting the consequences of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, where Renault F1 had orchestrated a strategic accident to favor its driver Nelson Piquet Jr., directly compromising the race and the championship for Massa, who was leading at the time.
“I look forward to proving in court that they conspired to hide the truth, and I will use all legal means to ensure that this injustice is corrected. Formula 1 is the greatest sport in the world, but it is essential that it is also the fairest” Massa reacted after the announcement of the decision.
A procedure still ongoing
While the decision on legal costs constitutes a success for the Brazilian, the judge nonetheless partially granted certain requests from the defendants. A key legal question must now be examined directly by the Supreme Court, thus suspending the main proceedings.
Despite this suspension, the parties are required to continue to exchange amended versions of their arguments, in view of the continuation of the trial. The FIA, Bernie Ecclestone and the FOM have 14 days to settle the legal costs ordered by the court.
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The context of Crashgate
The 2008 Singapore Grand Prix scandal remains one of the most controversial episodes in F1 history. Renault, through Flavio Briatore, had asked Nelson Piquet Jr. to cause an accident to bring out the safety car. This maneuver had disrupted the race and deprived Massa of a world title that he lost by a single point to Lewis Hamilton.
Last November, the court had already validated the admissibility of Massa’s lawsuit, allowing him to claim damages, but rejected his request to be officially recognized as the 2008 world champion.
Massa’s lawyers claim that Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA were aware of the circumstances of the accident but did not conduct a proper investigation, leaving the championship to conclude without an official challenge to the results.
A case that could last
This first partial victory could pave the way for new legal developments in the coming months. Felipe Massa intends to continue his fight to have the impact of Crashgate on his Formula 1 destiny recognized and to obtain justice after this scandal that marked the history of the sport.