Felipe Massa has filed a legal complaint against Formula 1 (F1) and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) in an attempt to reverse the outcome of the 2008 championship after 16 years since the incident occurred. Massa, a Brazilian driver, has officially initiated a lawsuit against F1 and FIA following the Crashgate scandal that took place in 2008. His aim is to overturn the result of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, which would consequently alter the outcome of the entire championship. However, amidst the legal proceedings, Massa’s former race engineer has accepted the defeat of the 2008 championship and has sided with Lewis Hamilton.
The legal complaint filed by Massa also seeks monetary compensation for the former world champion. He has stated that he is focused on the present and does not dwell on the past. Therefore, Massa believes he has the freedom to pursue whatever he desires, according to his engineer. Furthermore, the ex-Ferrari driver has been clear about his intentions with the lawsuit and what he hopes to achieve by winning the case.
The race engineer has made it clear that Lewis Hamilton rightfully won the 2008 championship. Even for someone like Massa, winning the championship would have been a remarkable achievement. However, Hamilton’s victory in the championship should not be further challenged. The engineer has also emphasized that losing the title is simply part of the sport, as the driver with the most points at the end of the season is declared the champion.
Despite previously stating that he was not interested in monetary gain from the case, the 46-year-old Massa is now seeking compensation of over $160 million from F1 and FIA. As a result, F1 pundit Matt Bishop has shared his opinion on the matter over the past few days. Bishop believes that 16 years later, Massa has found a quick and easy way to make $100 million. He also expressed his skepticism about the possibility of overturning the results of the 2008 championship, suggesting that Massa’s primary goal with the lawsuit is to obtain financial gain from the old case.
FIA and F1 have yet to present their side of the story regarding the legal complaint filed against them. Additionally, the governing body has decided to keep the details of the case private until the final moments. Therefore, only time will reveal the outcome of the lawsuit. Currently, Massa’s main objective is to actively participate in the case and potentially succeed in overturning the results of the 2008 championship.