Massa to file legal action on 2008 title?

Respect for Massa goes way down for me. I don't know how anyone can think Massa was the deserving champion since it was HE and Ferrari that blew it. If he is going to court in hope to win millions of dollars because he greedy, well whatever. Just a different reason to lose respect for him, but at least I could understand it.

 

Could Felippe be in financial dire straights ? These things are always about money

 

"Autosport", April 4, post # 44 of this thread:


“I would never go after it thinking financially,” he [Felipe Massa] said. “I would go after it thinking about justice.
“I think if you've been punished for something that wasn't your fault, and it's the product of a robbery, a stolen race, justice has to be served.
“In fact, the right situation is to cancel the result of that race. It is the only justice that can be done in a case like this.”

Massa said it was not uncommon for other sports to amend results many years after competitions when fresh evidence of cheating had emerged.
“We have already seen other situations happening in sports, such as Lance Armstrong (cyclist), who was proven to have doped, and he lost all the titles. What is the difference?”
When asked if he had spoken to his former Ferrari team about the matter, Massa said: “Not yet.”

 

Autosport, April 4, post # 44 of this thread:
(Toto Wolff's conclusion should be reminded to some...)

FIA is final court
While Massa plans to look into the matter, there do not appear to be any routes to get the result of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix cancelled.
The FIA’s own International Sporting Code does not allow protests after a race, and any right to request a review expires 14 calendar days after a competition – and four days prior to the date of that year’s FIA prize-giving ceremony.

Furthermore, the FIA’s judicial system is clear that the highest authority to make any ruling is the independent International Court of Appeal – and that any persons involved in a championship agree to abide by this. So there are no alternative courts that Massa could use.
Article 1.3.1b of the ISC states that competitors: “Shall undertake to submit themselves without reserve to the above and to the decisions of the sporting authority and to the consequences resulting therefrom.”

While in theory Massa could seek out the views of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it has no jurisdiction over the FIA on issues like this.
The FIA statutes dictate that the CAS may only be involved in matters relating to the FIA’s Anti-Doping Disciplinary Committee.

This judicial structure within the FIA, of the final call being the ICA, was one of the reasons why Mercedes abandoned its challenge over the result of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Hamilton lost the title after rules regarding the running of the event were not followed by F1 race director Michael Masi.
Speaking at the time about the matter, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said that if there had been options of taking it through other legal channels, then they would have been pursued.
“We believe we had a very strong case, and if you look at it from the legal side, if it would have been judged in a regular court you could almost guarantee that we would have won,” he said. “But the problem with the ICA is the way it is structured. The FIA can’t really mark their own homework. And there is a difference between being right, and obtaining justice.”

Rgds

 

Massa seems to be badly advised.

 

That was my thought too. Seems like he is surrounded by people that keep telling him he is the deserving 2008 champion. He will likely spend millions, he has already lost a lot of respect by many, will probably burn a lot of bridges, and if things are even remotely fair he will lose the case easily.

 

MASSA LEGAL SUIT TO WIPE OUT HAMILTON CHAMPIONSHIP
Massa legal suit to wipe out Hamilton championship | thejudge13

Felipe Massa is ready to take legal action against F1 which if successful would in effect wipe clean Lewis Hamilton’s first drivers’ championship in 2008.

Lawyers for former Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa are ready to take legal action against Formula 1 and the FIA to claim damages arising from an alleged “conspiracy” that cost the Brazilian the world title in 2008.

Crashgate destroyed title hope for 2008
According to the Brazilian driver’s lawyers, Felipe Massa was the victim of a conspiracy in 2008 when he was leading the Singapore Grand Prix and his compatriot Nelson Piquet – who was driving for Renault – deliberately sent his car into a wall on lap 14. This incident prompted a safety car to enter the track and directly benefited Piquet’s team-mate, Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who went on to win the race.
Felipe Massa, for his part, failed to score after a botched pit stop, while at the end of the season, McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton beat Felipe Massa by one point to the 2008 world championship.
A year later, Nelson Piquet revealed to the media that he had been asked internally to crash his car into a wall at the 2008 Singapore GP to favour his team-mate Fernando Alonso, triggering the infamous ‘crashgate’ scandal that led to former Renault boss Flavio Briatore being banned from the sport.

F1 Boss Bernie Ecclestone orchestrates legal action?
To make matters worse, former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has stated that he and former FIA president Max Mosley were aware at the time that Nelson Piquet had deliberately crashed in Singapore, but that they failed to act.
Recent revelations have revealed Bernie Ecclestone’s role as the enigmatic puppeteer who orchestrated a scheme to strip Lewis Hamilton of his 2008 Formula One World Championship title. Ecclestone’s shocking admission a few weeks ago reignited tensions over the infamous ‘Crashgate’ incident.
It has now emerged that Ecclestone himself was the architect of a plot to tarnish Hamilton’s legacy and take the title away from the seven-time champion.
As Ecclestone’s sinister plot comes to light, a series of events are replayed. Ecclestone’s orchestration of the ‘Crashgate’ controversy, kept in the shadows for years, is now being exposed. This revelation casts doubt on the legitimacy of Hamilton’s 2008 title and has sent shockwaves through the F1 community.

Massa starts legal action
The ongoing legal battle to regain the title, led by Felipe Massa, has taken on new significance with Ecclestone’s involvement. Ecclestone’s claim that he covered up the affair to protect F1’s reputation adds another layer of complexity. The truth is now coming out, giving Massa a chance to reclaim what he feels was a stolen title.
Massa’s quest for justice has gained momentum, fuelled by the revelation of Ecclestone’s role. Ecclestone’s motivations, driven by his dislike of Hamilton and his desire to preserve Michael Schumacher’s record, add a convoluted dimension to the unfolding drama.
The revelation has sparked debates across social platforms and sharply divided F1 fans. While some see it as a desperate attempt to tarnish Hamilton’s legacy, others argue that justice must prevail and that Massa deserves to be recognised as the rightful champion if the 2008 championship is found to be tainted.
Massa: Compensation sought for loss of title
Felipe Massa is therefore seeking compensation and has appointed lawyers in the UK, Brazil, the USA, Switzerland and France to ensure that justice is done.
“Simply put, Mr Massa is the rightful 2008 drivers’ champion, and F1 and the FIA have deliberately ignored the mismanagement that deprived him of that title,” says the letter from a London law firm seen exclusively by Reuters news agency.
“Mr Massa is not in a position to fully quantify its losses at this stage, but estimates that they are likely to exceed tens of millions of euros. This amount does not cover the serious moral and reputational losses suffered by Mr Massa”.
The letter was addressed to Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, former boss of the Ferrari team for which Massa drove in 2008, and to the Paris-based President of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The lawyers also state that without a satisfactory response to his potential claims, Massa intends to “pursue legal action in order to obtain compensation for the damage he has suffered as well as recognition that, but for these illegal acts, he would have been awarded the 2008 championship.”

 

That would be my conclusion, too. ASSUMING (with all reservations, etc...) that there is a parrallel between the two situations, you would think that Toto Wolff has been advised by competent lawyers, perhaps, as there was a question of image, even the corporate lawyers from Mercedes-Benz. And they decided not to go to court. And it was not after 15 years, so their decision didn't rely on the declarations of a 92-years old man, known for having been remarkably astute all his life, and whose lawyers are probably very good too.
I maybe wrong, but I think Felipe should forget it can't see how going to court is going to restaure "justice".

Rgds

 

Well, I hope for him that he gets some compensation in the end. Otherwise, the fees are going to hurt. We are already talking millions here.

Rgds

 

The fact that Massa says it isn’t about the money confirms it is about the money lol . So full of it

 

Regardless of how this plays out and the side of the fence you’re on, it will be interesting. I do think there was some damage caused, but no one knows how voiding the results would have altered the timeline.

If he somehow wins, I guess that would make him the last Ferrari Champion, not Raikkonen. At least it will only 15 years since the last one instead of 16. :::Sarcastic LOL:::

 

You spoke with him did you?

FACT - Bernie opened his old, entitled stupid mouth, literally he brought this back to life. He is the a--hat who is full of it in this one.

 

He is represented by ENYO LAW in London; they are litigation specialists, with a good record.

Rgds

 

Maybe in the end we will have a Ferrari WDC for 2008!
We will gain one year more compared with Kimi last Ferrari WDC in 2007

 

Doubt they're in the business of entering a lose only case...so will be interesting see this move forward!

 

Why Massa feel the need to have lawyers in 5 different countries is what beats me.
I suspect the case, if it goes that far, would be judged in Paris, since the FIA is based in France.

 

He won't win the case. Waste of time and money.

 

According to certain sources, but I can't find positive proof of this, he had already appealed the FIA decision in 2009, and was rejected.
If true, everything depends on the new evidence, i.e: Bernie Ecclestone.

Rgds

 

The trouble is Bernie Ecclestone, bless him, is full of mischief, and is an unreliable witness: you never know which way he will go.
So, if a litigation is based on his testimony as new evidence, Massa's case is on shaky, IMO.
The lawyers must be rubbing their hands !

 

Exactly what I had in mind. I wish Felipe no harm, so I hope his lawyers will be up to the task.
But should he loose the case, it certainly will make a big hole in his pockets...

Rgds

 

It wouldn't look good for Ferrari if the FIA annuled the 2008 Singapore GP and made Massa WDC as a result, 15 years later.
The public expect titles to be won on the track; not in court.
@nerofer explained it when he gave the reason why Toto Wolff didn't contest the 2021 Abu Dhabi result.
Same reason why Renault refused to appeal Piquet's WDC at Brabham that was allegedly using illegal fuel.
Also I noticed that the Scuderia is making no comment about the whole affair, and don't seem willing to back up their ex-driver.
It looks to me that Massa is on his own in this story.

 

Really ? If you are that naive to think otherwise , then you know nothing about this wonderful world we live in . I don’t need to speak to him to see between the lines , money money money .when someone says principle in a lawsuit , money .

 

I have to think Ferrari is shutting up because a 2008 Championship means very little to them, and much more to Massa. Pursuing it would probably be throwing good money after bad.

 

Possibly. Also, Ferrari is probably not willing to cross the FIA unnecessarilly as they are still participating in F1.

 

The allegation that the crashgate cost Massa the title is really far-fetched - I don't see how anybody could really believe it.
Wiping out Singapore's result (then robbing Hamilton's 6 points) would give Massa the title, but since this operation would be the result of the crashgate, Hamilton could then claim (with more ground than Massa currently has, ironically) that the crashgate cost him the title.