“Racing for Justice: Felipe Massa’s Legal Battle to Reclaim the Crown of the 2008 F1 Season”

Felipe Massa has initiated legal action against Formula One in the High Court of London, pursuing compensation for the loss of the 2008 drivers’ championship. The former Ferrari driver lodged a lawsuit on Monday, alleging that he was deprived of the opportunity to claim the title in the 2008 season. Massa, a Brazilian racer who was 42 at the time, narrowly missed out on the championship to Lewis Hamilton by a single point in a season overshadowed by the “crashgate” controversy during the Singapore Grand Prix. At that race, Massa was leading before an orchestrated crash involving Nelson Piquet Jr. led to his eventual 13th place finish, ultimately costing him the championship.

Massa’s legal action extends to the sport’s governing body, the FIA, and its former head, Bernie Ecclestone. He is seeking £62 million ($80 million) in damages, reflecting the disparity in earnings, sponsorships, and commercial opportunities he would have received as a world champion. Ecclestone himself acknowledged in a recent interview that according to the rules, the results of the Singapore race should not have been considered for the championship standings, potentially resulting in Massa being declared the champion.

Massa’s lawyers stated that he is pursuing declarations that the FIA violated its regulations by failing to promptly investigate Piquet Jr.’s crash and that had it done so, Massa would have secured the drivers’ championship. They also seek compensation for the substantial financial losses incurred by Massa due to the FIA’s negligence, in which Ecclestone and Formula One Management (FOM) were allegedly complicit.

The 2008 championship marked Hamilton’s inaugural world title, and he has since equaled Michael Schumacher’s record of seven world drivers’ championships. When questioned about Massa’s legal action, Hamilton expressed his preference not to dwell on the past and to focus on the present instead.

Despite the setback in 2008, Massa’s F1 career continued until 2017, during which he did not secure another race victory. He notably endured a life-threatening head injury at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix but made a courageous return to the sport, racing for Ferrari and later for Williams.