Filipe Massa is seeking justice and proper justification from Formula 1 (F1) and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) regarding the incident that occurred during the 2008 Championship. Massa’s legal team has announced their intention to file a lawsuit against F1 and FIA for the perceived injustice surrounding the championship that year. Massa finished second in the championship, losing to the winner by just one point, with the infamous crash gate incident being cited as one of the main reasons for his loss.
According to Massa’s legal team, their main focus is not on recovering the financial damages suffered by Massa due to the unfair championship loss. Massa missed out on a significant salary increase and potential sponsorship and brand deals as a result of not winning the title in 2008. The estimated loss is valued at $76.4 million, which Massa is seeking to recover through the lawsuit filed against F1 and FIA.
Initially, the lawsuit filed in the British court did not mention the specific incident. However, Massa’s legal team now claims that both F1 and FIA failed to take appropriate action at the time and should be held responsible for the damages. The legal drama began with a slip-up from a former F1 executive, who admitted that F1 did not take any action regarding the crash gate incident despite being aware of the facts.
The crash gate incident is considered one of the most controversial moments in F1 history. In order to help the winner of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, Renault instructed a driver to intentionally crash during the race. As a result, the safety car was deployed, and Massa dropped to 13th place, ultimately losing valuable championship points.
Last year, Bernie Ecclestone, a prominent figure in F1, revealed that both F1 and FIA were aware of the deliberate crash. In response, Felipe Massa filed an official lawsuit, which also named Ecclestone. Ecclestone acknowledged that Massa is taking the right course of action.
The lawsuit filed by Massa has sparked division within the F1 community. F1 and FIA must handle the situation carefully, as a court ruling in favor of Massa could set a precedent for other teams and drivers who feel they have been wronged in the past to file their own lawsuits, using Massa’s case as leverage.