AUTONEWS

F1: Court sets first hearings in Felipe Massa's lawsuit over 2008 title

On Monday (24/02), the High Court of Justice in London set the dates for the first hearings in Felipe Massa's lawsuit, which seeks to win the 2008 Formula 1 title. The sessions will take place between October 28 and 31 of this year.

This will be the first step in Felipe Massa's lawsuit against the International Automobile Federation (FIA), Formula One Management (FOM) and Bernie Ecclestone, former president of the category. The Brazilian driver filed the lawsuit in March 2024, after months of waiting.

Massa questions the result of the 2008 Formula 1 championship after “Singaporegate” - an episode in which Nelsinho Piquet intentionally crashed in the Singapore GP that year to help his teammate, Fernando Alonso, win.

The scandal was only revealed to the world the following year; therefore, after the dramatic championship decision at the Brazilian GP, ​​when Massa saw Lewis Hamilton secure the title on the last corner by overtaking Timo Glock and finishing the championship one point ahead of the Brazilian.

However, a statement by Bernie Ecclestone in 2023 reignited the controversy. The Englishman revealed that he knew of the intention of Nelsinho's crash back in 2008, which would allow a review of the race before the end of the season. The Briton said that F1 and the FIA ​​remained silent to protect the integrity of the sport.

In addition to asking for a review of the 2008 championship result, the former Ferrari driver also wants the FIA ​​to admit that it violated its own regulations by not investigating the crash at the time. Massa would have won the title if the race had been canceled, as he finished only 13th in the Singapore race after the incident with the refueling hose during a pitstop, while Hamilton finished third. 

If the race were to be annulled, Massa would finish the championship with 97 points, compared to Hamilton's 92. The FIA ​​could also award reduced points, reflecting the positions prior to the crash on lap 14. At the time of the crash, Massa was the leader of the race, and Hamilton was in second place.

Felipe Massa is also asking for compensation that could reach almost R$1 billion(Brazil currency). The estimated values ​​are between 64 and 150 million pounds, according to the former Ferrari driver's team. The calculation took into account factors such as the bonus that Massa would receive for the title and the difference in salary that he could have negotiated as world champion and what he actually received until the end of his career.

Felipe Massa has expressed hope that justice will be served. In recent interviews, he reinforced the emotional and financial weight of the action and emphasized that this is not just a fight for himself, but also for a fairer sport. "What happened is not part of the sport. It needs to be corrected, not just by me, but by motorsport in general," said the former driver.

The case could set a historic precedent in Formula 1. To date, no title has been changed by legal means after the end of a season. If Massa wins, the category may need to review how it deals with past and future situations.

Now, we can only await the outcome of the trial on October 28 and 31. In the meantime, the debate over whether Felipe Massa should or should not be recognized as the 2008 champion continues to rage among fans and experts.

Could the history of motorsport be rewritten?

Mundoquatrorodas