Photo: Race Pictures

Massa’s 2008 Singapore crashgate case hits potential turning point

12:42, 29 Oct

byTobia Elia

The case led by Felipe Massa and his legal team over the 2008 Singapore “Crashgate” scandal is set to enter a key stage this week in London.

The former Brazilian driver is still seeking justice — not to overturn the outcome of the 2008 championship, which he lost to Lewis Hamilton largely due to the result of that year’s Singapore Grand Prix, F1’s first-ever night race — but to claim $82 million in damages from the FIA, FOM, and former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, following the latter’s 2023 interview with F1-Insider.

In that very interview, the British businessman admitted that the Marina Bay race should have been annulled following the scandal that later engulfed Renault and Flavio Briatore, after Nelson Piquet Jr’s shocking revelation that he had been ordered to crash deliberately to trigger a Safety Car and help his then-teammate Fernando Alonso — who went on to win the race.

According to Ecclestone, there was enough evidence at the time to bring the matter to light, but nothing was done in order to protect Formula 1’s image.

Felipe Massa - Photo: Race Pictures

Fifteen years later, thanks to Ecclestone’s admission, Massa’s legal team gained a crucial opening to launch a formal case, filing a lawsuit against the aforementioned parties.

The case will take centre stage this week at London’s Royal Courts of Justice, with preliminary hearings held on Tuesday and continuing through to October 31.

This week’s hearings will determine whether the case can move forward to a full trial. Should it proceed, Massa and his lawyers will not only pursue the $82 million compensation claim but, more importantly, seek official recognition that the 2008 title loss resulted from a breach of Formula 1 regulations.

Massa determined to take the case all the way until the end

The former Ferrari driver has never fully come to terms with the outcome of the 2008 championship, which he lost partly because of the points dropped at the Singapore Grand Prix — even though that race also saw a costly blunder from the Maranello team, when Massa was released from the pits with the fuel hose still attached.

The Brazilian has always hinted that his fight has become a matter of principle — not about personal revenge, but to ensure that similar incidents never happen again in the future.

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