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F1, FIA and Ecclestone Move to Toss Massa’s £64 Million ‘Crashgate’ Suit as High Court Hearing Opens

A London judge is weighing a strike-out bid that could end Felipe Massa’s case before it reaches a full trial.

Overview

  • Felipe Massa is seeking about £64 million in damages plus a court declaration that the FIA breached its regulations by not promptly probing the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
  • Lawyers for Formula One Management, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone argue the claim is out of time and say Massa’s and Ferrari’s own errors in Singapore cost him the title.
  • Ecclestone’s disputed 2023 interview, in which he was quoted saying he knew of the deliberate crash during 2008, underpins Massa’s claim; Ecclestone now says he does not remember giving it.
  • Massa is not asking the court to strip Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 championship, though defendants say the relief sought would be unfair to Hamilton, who is not a party to the case.
  • The three-day hearing before Mr Justice Jay began Wednesday at the Royal Courts of Justice and is due to conclude Friday, with a ruling expected at a later date.