F1 News: Ecclestone to spend 95th birthday in court with Massa

(GMM) Bernie Ecclestone will spend his 95th birthday in London’s High Court – with Felipe Massa who is suing to get back the 2008 F1 Championship title that was stolen from him.

Massa, the former Ferrari driver, launched a reportedly $82 million lawsuit against the FIA, Formula 1, and former F1 CEO Ecclestone about a year ago.

He alleges that 2023 comments by Ecclestone made abundantly clear that both F1 and the FIA had sufficient knowledge prior to the end of the 2008 season – before the ‘crashgate’ scandal emerged publicly – that Nelson Piquet had crashed his Renault on purpose in Singapore.

Respected specialist publications are now reporting that the High Court has set a date for the opening of the proceedings – October 28 of this year, which is coincidentally Ecclestone’s birthday.

Felipe Massa blowing off Bernie Ecclestone in the Sao Paulo GP 2023 — Felipe Massa blowing off Bernie Ecclestone at the Sao Paulo GP 2023

Also summoned to the proceedings are FIA and FOM representatives.

“Attempts at an amicable resolution failed, leaving Mr Massa no option but legal action,” Massa’s lawyers at Vieira Rezende Advogados declared. “He seeks justice for a historic wrong and compensation for his losses.”

The Brazilian driver, now 43, told Globo: “This fight is about fairness in sport. The courts will decide what the FIA and FOM refused to address.”

The FIA and F1 commercial rights holder Liberty Media have not commented on the latest developments.

But reporting from Bahrain ahead of pre-season testing, long-serving F1 journalist Roger Benoit said in Blick newspaper: “The trial is no longer about the world championship title, but only about a possible multi-million compensation payment to Massa.”