P1racenews AI automatic summary:
A three-day pre-trial hearing was held last month in London, with RacingNews365 in attendance throughout.
Felipe Massa’s legal action against the FIA, Formula 1, and Bernie Ecclestone was ruled to continue by a High Court judge, though he cautioned it won’t be smooth sailing for the Brazilian.
During a recent three-day hearing in Court 73 at the Royal Courts of Justice, Massa’s legal team, led by Nick de Marco KC, argued for sending the claim to a full trial, while three KCs representing Ecclestone, F1, and the FIA aimed to halt the case before trial.
Massa isn’t trying to overturn Lewis Hamilton’s title; instead, he seeks lost earnings as a potential world champion, aims for recognition as the ‘rightful champion,’ and wants a statement confirming the FIA’s failure to properly investigate.
Claiming breach of contract and duty by the FIA over the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix’s crashgate scandal, Massa seeks £64 million in damages and alleges a conspiracy between Ecclestone and Max Mosley.
The case revolves around Ecclestone’s 2023 interview claiming awareness of Piquet Jr.’s deliberate crash during 2008, while the FIA, F1, and Ecclestone’s legal teams argued against the time limits and Massa’s supposed prior knowledge.
