FELIPE MASSA FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST THE FIA, FORMULA ONE MANAGEMENT AND BERNIE ECCLESTONE: CRASHGATE RECAP

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The ex-formula one driver has taken legal action, against the FIA, FOM and former chief executive of formula one Bernie Ecclestone, for £62m pay-out and recognition as the 2008 world champion.
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Massa is the runner up of the 2008 formula one driver’s championship, losing out on the world championship title to Lewis Hamilton by 1 point.

Ecclestone has responded to the lawsuit, telling the British Press association: ““If he had asked me, I would have said it was the complete right thing to do, to sue, and to let an English judge decide what is right and wrong,”

Since last year the ex-Ferrari driver has claimed that he is the “rightful” winner of the 2008 season due to the Singapore grand prix scandal, otherwise known as Crashgate.

Legal action has been in the works after Eccleston implied last year that F1 ruled against taking action to protect its reputation.

Hamilton and Massa. 2008. China press conference

​WHAT IS CRASHGATE?

2008 Singapore Grand Prix

Felipe Massa began the Singapore grand prix on pole with his Ferrari, further down the grid Alonso started 15th and Piquet jr 16th in their Renaults. On the 12th lap Alonso became the first driver to pit, for fresh tires and more fuel after starting the race with only enough for 14 – 16 laps. The Renault driver then re-joined the track in 20th.

On the 14th lap Piquet jr crashed, putting his Renault in the wall, in an unlikely and difficult area to clear, producing a safety car.

During 2008 the pit lane was closed during safety cars, allowing drivers who had pit just before an incident to gain an advantage. Allowing Alonso to catch up with the rest of the grid who queued up behind the safety car.

Once the safety car was called in a scramble in the pits formed and worst-case scenario fell upon race leader Felipe Massa. Ferrari called for a double pit, rushing to get the race leader out before Kimi Raikkonen, his tea-mate, arrived. Relying on new technology Ferrari gave Massa the green light too early, sending him on his way with his fuel hose still attached. Ultimately, sending Massa from first to last.

As the rest of the grid flooded into the pits Alonso conveniently slipped into the race leading, maintaining his position until the end, where he picked up his 20th win of his career.
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Had Massa finished on the podium in Singapore he would’ve won the Drivers world championship in 2008.

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Alonso and Briatore @alo-oficial

The aftermath

In 2009 Renault, following the Hungarian Grand prix, Piquet jr was fired. Renault had previously promised to re sign piquet jr for the 2009 season, releasing him mid in September meant they hadn't followed through with their agreement.

Piquet quickly began to unleash his version of the Singapore grand prix incident to the FIA, telling them Renaults team boss Flavio Briatore and engineering director Pat Symonds orchestrated the crash to ensure a victory for Alonso.

It is said that Bernie Ecclestone had told Piquet jr to remain silent on the matter and that Piquet jr wanted to reported it sooner but didn’t as it would’ve effected his position in Renault and Formula one. 

Renault, who didn’t contest the accusations,  were then disqualified from the 2009 season and given a two-year suspension. Briatore, although claiming innocence, received a lifetime ban from all FIA motor racing. Symonds admitted involvement and was banned for 5 years, however Alonso who denies any knowledge of the plan was cleared and kept his win in Singapore.
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"You can't defend him [Briatore] at all. What he did was completely unnecessary. It's a pity that it's happened." - Bernie Ecclestone
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In October Briatore announced that he was going to challenge the FIA’s decision and in January 2010 a French court overturned their decision and awarded Briatore €15,000 in compensation. Deciding the FIA’s punishments were illegal.
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With Piquet jr’s formal complaints only surfacing a year after the event Massa had little hope in overturning the results of the Singapore grand prix or the results of the drivers standing in 2008.

Felipe Massa does not have support from Ferrari with this lawsuit against Formula one. 

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Bronwen Jones 
writer @F1 Journal