Felipe Massa, the former Ferrari driver, has taken legal action against Formula 1, the FIA sports governing body, and former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, seeking more than £62-million (R1.4-billion) in damages.
This lawsuit comes after Massa lost the 2008 World Championship to Lewis Hamilton in a dramatic final lap — a title Massa believes he was robbed of because of a manipulated crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Nelson Piquet Jr’s allegedly deliberate crash for the benefit of his teammate, Fernando Alonso, is central to Massa’s claim.
Massa’s legal team has released a statement explaining that the lawsuit is not an attempt to change the championship’s outcome but to address the financial and career implications he faced because of not being declared the 2008 world champion.
They argue that the FIA failed to adequately investigate the incident, which, if done correctly, could have led to Massa winning the title.
Bernie Ecclestone, who is mentioned in the lawsuit, has previously suggested that Massa was unfairly robbed of the title and that the race results could have been invalidated, which would have made Massa the champion.
Lewis Hamilton, who has won seven world titles, has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
Compiled by staff writer
Pictured above: Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton.
Image source: F1
