Ex-Ferrari F1 driver Felipe Massa has determined that he desires his day in courtroom: the Brazilian has filed a lawsuit within the London Excessive Courtroom in opposition to the FIA, System One Administration and Bernie Ecclestone over the end result of the 2008 Singapore GP.
Massa, who misplaced the 2008 title by a single level to Lewis Hamilton on the final spherical in Brazil, initiated authorized proceedings in opposition to the FIA and FOM final summer season as he aimed to safe reparations for what his attorneys deemed on the time a “conspiracy” that disadvantaged the previous Scuderia charger of the world crown that 12 months.
The crux of the difficulty evolves across the Renault staff’s choice on the 2008 Singapore GP to order its second driver, Nelson Piquet Jr, to intentionally crash his automobile to carry out the protection automobile to learn teammate Fernando Alonso, which it successfully did because the latter went on to win the race whereas Hamilton completed third.
Massa’s attorneys asserted that the Brazilian suffered substantial monetary losses amounting to tens of thousands and thousands of euros attributable to forgone earnings and bonuses because of the occasions that unfolded on the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Massa was hopeful of reaching a settlement with the opposing events, however on Monday, the Brazilian’s representatives confirmed that motion has been lodged within the Excessive Courtroom of Justice in opposition to the three named events.
The lawsuit particularly targets the FIA for failing to correctly examine the incident on the time, and FOM for probably turning a blind eye to the scandal to keep away from bringing the game into disrepute.
Including one other layer to the story, Ecclestone himself made contradictory statements in regards to the incident. In a 2023 interview with a German media outlet, he claimed there was sufficient proof on the time to warrant an investigation and a possible disqualification of the Renault staff.
Nonetheless, he later backtracked on these feedback, stating he had no recollection of the interview.
In line with an announcement from Brazilian legislation agency Vieira Rezende Advogados, “Mr Massa is in search of declarations that the FIA breached its rules by failing to promptly examine Nelson Piquet Junior’s crash on the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix and that had it acted correctly, Mr Massa would have received the drivers’ championship that 12 months.
“Mr Massa additionally seeks damages for the numerous monetary loss he has suffered because of the FIA’s failure, by which Mr Ecclestone and FOM have been additionally complicit.
“Makes an attempt to seek out an amicable decision have been unsuccessful, leaving Mr Massa with no selection however to provoke authorized proceedings.”
Massa’s litigation comes at a troublesome time for the FIA following a whistleblower’s latest allegations that Mohammed Ben Sulayem tried to intrude with the results of the 2023 Saudi Arabian GP in a case involving a penalty levied upon Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso after which later rescinded by the stewards.
The identical whistleblower additionally claimed that the governing physique’s president had ordered officers in Las Vegas to not certify the venue’s road circuit simply day’s forward of the town’s inaugural Grand Prix.
The assertion by Massa’s attorneys added: “Latest occasions naturally exhibit that problems with transparency and integrity in System 1 stay related, and it’s clear that severe work is required to revive its credibility and long-term future.”
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