P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The FIA and former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone have issued strong rebuttals to Felipe Massa’s legal challenge over the 2008 F1 World Championship.
Lawyers for the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone strongly rejected Felipe Massa’s legal challenge regarding the 2008 World Championship, which he claims was unfairly influenced by the ‘Crashgate’ scandal at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. Massa argues that Renault’s deliberate crash altered the championship outcome, leading to his loss against Lewis Hamilton by one point. The £64 million claim targets the FIA, Formula One Management, and Ecclestone for allegedly knowing about the incident but not taking action. The ongoing hearing in London will determine if the case proceeds to a full trial, where Massa is seeking to have the race annulled and be crowned champion. Ecclestone’s counsel argued that Massa’s poor performance in Singapore was due to his own mistakes, not Renault’s actions, and emphasized the need to dismiss the case.
