Attorneys representing former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa have initiated legal proceedings against F1 and the FIA regarding the alleged ‘conspiracy’ that led to him being denied the 2008 Drivers’ Championship, as reported by Reuters.
Despite winning the final race in his home country, the Brazilian missed out on the title by a mere point, with McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton securing his first championship victory instead.
Massa’s potential victory was marred by controversy during the Singapore Grand Prix, where his lead was disrupted by Nelson Piquet Jr.’s ‘crashgate’ incident, prompting a Safety Car deployment.
An unfortunate pit stop error, where Massa left with his fuel hose still attached [refuelling was permitted at the time], resulted in his failure to score points in the race.
The legal action taken by Massa was triggered by former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone’s recent revelation that he and former FIA President Max Mosley were aware of the deliberate nature of the incident during that time but took no action.
A Letter Before Claim, which is a required notice before initiating court proceedings, asserted that Felipe Massa was unjustly denied the championship title, leading to the loss of tens of millions of euros in earnings and bonuses.
According to Reuters, the letter stated, “Mr. Massa is the rightful 2008 Drivers’ Champion, and F1 and the FIA deliberately overlooked the misconduct that deprived him of the title.”
The letter was addressed to Felipe Massa’s former Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, as reported. Legal action will be pursued for compensation if a satisfactory response is not provided.
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