Felipe Massa, important victory in the fight for the 2008 Formula 1 title! He will receive £250,000
Article by David Istrate – Published on Saturday, 07 March 2026, 19:40 / Updated on Saturday, 07 March 2026 19:44
Felipe Massa, 44, the 2008 Formula 1 world runner-up, has made significant progress in his lawsuit against the FIA, Formula One Management (FOM) and Bernie Ecclestone, the former chief executive of the Formula 1 Group. The defendants are ordered to pay the former Brazilian driver £250,000 in legal costs in a case related to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Felipe Massa, who in 2008 was overtaken by a single point by Lewis Hamilton, thereby losing the world title, is seeking justice in court and demanding to be declared world champion that year. The former Ferrari driver's arguments are based on an incident that happened at the Singapore Grand Prix, where Massa finished 13th.
Starting from pole position, the Brazilian was favorite to win the racebut an accident caused by Nelson Piquet Jr., his compatriot, caused him to enter the Safety Car period, and Fernando Alonso took advantage of this and took the lead.
Massa had a poor pit stop and lost the lead, finishing 13th, while Hamilton took 3rd. In 2023, Bernie Ecclestone said in an interview with the F1 Insider website that he knew about Piquet Jr.'s intentional crash, meant to favor Alonso, and that he did not investigate the case to preserve F1's image.
Felipe Massa wants to be recognized as world champion in 2008 and demands 77 million euros
Massa appealed, opened a lawsuit against Ecclestone, the FIA and Formula One Management (FOM) and claims €77 million and a declaration from the FIA recognizing him as world champion in 2008.
The court hearing the case recently ordered the 3 accused parties to pay Massa £250,000 to cover part of his legal costs. Defendants also cannot appeal to the Court of Appeal, but can apply for special leave to appeal directly to the UK Supreme Court.
The next step in Massa's legal battle is to start the legal process, in which to check all the evidence, analyze the facts of the Singapore Grand Prix and interview the witnesses.
“I can't wait to prove in court that they conspired to hide the truth and I will use all legal means to ensure that this injustice is punished. F1 is the most important sport in the world, but it is essential that it is also the most fair,” said Felipe Massa, quoted by abola.pt.
