Massa Can Continue Part Of £64m 'crashgate' Lawsuit

Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa tin proceed portion of his ineligible action complete nan 'Crashgate' ungraded astatine nan Singapore Grand Prix successful 2008, but has had different elements of his lawsuit dismissed by nan High Court.

A tribunal ruling said nan Brazilian tin effort to retrieve damages successful regards to nan controversy, but rejected his declare for a declaration he should person won nan 2008 drivers' title.

Massa launched ineligible action against erstwhile F1 leader Bernie Ecclestone, Formula 1 and governing assemblage nan FIA complete an alleged "conspiracy" he says denied him nan title, which was won by McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

Massa believes that if F1 chiefs had investigated nan incident sooner and nan consequence had been annulled, he would person been crowned world champion. The 44-year-old is seeking compensation successful nan region of astir £64m.

At a proceeding past period nan defendants - Ecclestone, F1 and nan FIA - attempted to get nan lawsuit thrown out, saying it was Massa's capacity which stopped him winning nan title and nan matter had been brought excessively late.

Mr Justice Jay handed down his ruling from that proceeding connected Thursday. He allowed nan matter to proceed and said Massa had a "real imaginable of proving astatine trial" his lawsuit for damages.

He rejected nan defendants' declare nan rumor had been brought to tribunal excessively late, arsenic Massa had only discovered facts to thief him successful his lawsuit arsenic precocious arsenic 2023 - erstwhile Ecclestone gave an question and reply speaking astir nan 2008 incident.

However, to let nan declaration constituent of Massa's lawsuit to proceed "comes excessively adjacent successful my position to impinging connected nan correct of nan FIA to govern its ain affairs", nan judge said.

"Mr Massa is not entitled to declare declaratory alleviation for reputational aliases publicity reasons," he added.

"The coming declare cannot of people rewrite nan result of nan 2008 drivers' world championship, but if declaratory alleviation on nan lines sought were granted that is really Mr Massa would coming his triumph to nan world and it is besides really it would beryllium perceived by nan public."

Massa was starring nan inaugural race successful Singapore from rod position erstwhile Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately collapsed astatine Turn 17 connected thigh 14 to bring retired a information car.

That benefited Fernando Alonso, who had made an earlier pit extremity than his competitors.

During nan safety-car period, Ferrari botched Massa's pit extremity and he near nan pits pinch nan substance hose attached to nan car, accidentally knocking complete a unit member.

He rejoined nan way towards nan backmost of nan section and vanished 13th, extracurricular nan points.

Hamilton, who came third, accrued his title lead complete Massa to 7 points - and subsequently won nan title by a azygous point.

At nan time, Piquet described nan shunt into nan wall arsenic a "simple mistake".

However, erstwhile Renault dropped him during nan 2009 season, he revealed he had been asked by nan squad to deliberately clang and his actions led to an investigation which resulted successful Renault squad main Flavio Briatore and main method serviceman Pat Symonds being banned from F1 for respective years.

Alonso was cleared of wrongdoing and nan FIA recovered nary grounds he was alert of nan plan.

Briatore is now executive advisor to nan Alpine team, while Symonds is portion of nan Andretti Cadillac F1 programme.