According to a court document presented by Massa’s representatives, his alleged financial losses from narrowly missing out on the F1 Title amount to £64-Million ($82-Million) plus interest. This sum encompasses the disparity in salary for the rest of his career, potential earnings from sponsorships and commercial ventures, and a £1.7-Million bonus he would have received from Ferrari.
Massa expressed his determination to fight until the end, stating that since the FIA and FOM chose to take no action, legal recourse is necessary to rectify this historic injustice. He emphasized that the matter is now in the hands of his lawyers, who have full authority to take any necessary steps to ensure justice is served for the sport.
When contacted by Reuters, Formula One Management (FOM) and the International Automobile Federation based in Paris declined to comment on the legal action.
In 2008, the F1 Title was awarded to Lewis Hamilton from Britain, who was racing for McLaren at the time and has since become a seven-time F1 champion with Mercedes.
Reuters was unable to immediately locate any records of Massa’s lawsuit on the court’s electronic filing system. However, court documents provided by Massa’s representatives confirm that the lawsuit was filed on Monday.
Massa, aged 42, is demanding that the FIA acknowledge its violation of its own regulations by failing to promptly investigate a crash during the Singapore Grand Prix, which later evolved into one of the most significant scandals in the sport’s history.
The Brazilian driver has brought attention to a statement made by Ecclestone in an interview with the German website F1 Insider. In the quote, Ecclestone expresses his belief that Massa should have been crowned World Champion and that he was unfairly denied the title he deserved. Ecclestone, now 93 years old, also mentioned that there was insufficient information at the time to thoroughly investigate the matter and cancel the Singapore race. Last August, when questioned by Reuters, Ecclestone claimed to have no recollection of making the quoted remarks. Brazilian law firm Vieira Rezende Advogados released a statement expressing their unsuccessful attempts to resolve the issue amicably, leading them to pursue legal action. The recent events surrounding this controversy highlight the ongoing importance of transparency and integrity in Formula One. It is evident that significant efforts are necessary to restore the sport’s credibility and secure its future.
During the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, Massa, who had started from pole position, was leading the race when his compatriot Nelson Piquet Jr crashed into the wall on lap 14 out of 61. This incident prompted the deployment of the safety car, which ultimately benefited Piquet’s Renault teammate Fernando Alonso, who went on to win the race. Unfortunately for Massa, a mishap during a pitstop prevented him from scoring any points. In 2009, Piquet revealed that he had been instructed by team bosses to deliberately crash, resulting in their subsequent ban from the sport.
It is worth noting that Hamilton claimed the 2008 F1 Title over Massa by overtaking Toyota’s Timo Glock for fifth place on the final lap of the season’s last race in Brazil. Although Massa emerged victorious in that race, it was not enough to secure the championship. Following the 2008 season, Massa did not achieve another victory, and his career was marred by a severe head injury sustained during the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix. He ultimately retired from racing in 2017. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin and Sam Tobin)