(Motorsports news) Massa thinks F1 and the governing body were aware of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix ‘crashgate’ scandal in time to take action before the championship was decided. This belief is prompted by an interview with former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone earlier this year as well as archive footage of late FIA race director Charlie Whiting.
Former Ferrari and Williams driver Massa claims he is preparing a follow-up legal challenge to get “justice for the sport” rather than recover the “tens of millions of euros” his team believes it lost out on after Hamilton of McLaren defeated him for the title that year by one point. However, Massa’s lawyer in Brazil, Bernardo Viana, from the Sao Paulo Vieira Rezende Advogados, is hoping Hamilton would back the claim that could possibly cost him the first of his seven driver’s championship titles.
In an interview with Reuters, Viana stated: “He is a crucial advocate for the game and has consistently stood out for athletic ethics. “I hope he would help us because he is an honorary citizen of Brazil and well-liked by Brazilians. We have nothing at all against Hamilton. It is clear that Ferrari, for which Massa competed in 2008, will not support the case in addition to Hamilton.
The deadline for F1 and the FIA to react to a Letter Before Claim has been postponed until mid-October, according to information provided by Massa’s legal team, according to the same Reuters interview with Viana. Prior to last Friday (8 September), the FOM and FIA had to react to the letter, which underlined that the F1 summer break and people being on vacation were insufficient justifications for the delays in responding. Otherwise, a legal challenge might be filed in the British High Court.
They have requested more time, and we are internally determining if we will genuinely grant their request, according to Viana. We are awaiting their response because they are still within the window of time we have given them. It’s fine if they respond appropriately and approach us for any further talk. “If it’s not if their response is inadequate, we’re just going to move forward with the legal strategy that we have in place.”
Also read: Discussion of the F1 Concorde won’t be a “snot-gobbling fight”
