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Major update emerges on ex-F1 star’s legal claim over Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 title triumph

Lewis Hamilton won his first F1 world title in 2008 (David Davies/PA)
Lewis Hamilton won his first F1 world title in 2008 (David Davies/PA) (PA Archive)
  • Felipe Massa's £64m lawsuit against Formula 1, the FIA, and Bernie Ecclestone over the 2008 'Crashgate' scandal will proceed to trial.
  • Ex-F1 star Massa alleges that a deliberate crash by Nelson Piquet Jnr at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, and a subsequent cover-up, cost him the world championship, which Lewis Hamilton ultimately won.
  • A High Court judge ruled that Massa has a "real prospect of proving at trial all the components of his unlawful means conspiracy" but dismissed claims for declaratory relief regarding the FIA's duties to him.
  • The legal action was reignited by comments made by Bernie Ecclestone in 2023, where he suggested he and then-FIA president Max Mosley knew about the scandal but kept it quiet to protect the sport.
  • Despite the trial, FIA regulations prevent the official overturning of the 2008 championship result, as protests and reviews expire after a set period.
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