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Felipe Massa, a former Ferrari driver, sued Formula One on Monday in London’s High Court, seeking damages for losing out on the 2008 world championship. Brazilian Massa, 42, lost to Lewis Hamilton by a single point in a season marked by the “crashgate” controversy at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Renault ordered Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash their other vehicle to set up a win for Fernando Alonso. Leading at the time of Piquet’s smash, Ferrari’s Massa came in 13th and lost the title by the narrowest of margins.
The season after, Piquet disclosed that his bosses had given him orders to crash on purpose. Massa has also filed legal action against the sport’s governing body, the FIA, and former supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
He is reportedly demanding £62 million ($80 million) in damages to make up for the difference in salary, as well as the sponsorship and commercial opportunities he would have gotten as a world champion.
A statement from Massa’s lawyers reads, “Mr. Massa is seeking declarations that the FIA breached its regulations by failing to promptly investigate Nelson Piquet Junior’s crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, and that had it acted properly, Mr. Massa would have won the drivers’ championship that year.”
The statement further reads, “Mr. Massa also seeks damages for the significant financial loss he has suffered due to the FIA’s failure, in which Mr. Ecclestone and FOM (Formula One Management) were also complicit.”
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