Because of Massa trial: Ecclestone has to go to court on his birthday

(Motorsport-Total.com) - The wheels of justice grind slowly: Felipe Massa recently had this experience when he went to court over the controversial events surrounding the 2008 World Championship decision - but one and a half years after the Brazilian took the first legal steps, things are now slowly moving forward, as Motorsport-Total.com has learned.

Massa wants to challenge the classification of the Singapore Grand Prix that year and, in the best case, have it annulled because the race was demonstrably manipulated: Flavio Briatore instructed his Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to have an accident on purpose, while his teammate Fernando Alonso benefited and won.

Massa, who did not score any points in Singapore, would benefit significantly from the elimination of the race in the final standings of the season and hopes to be retroactively awarded the world championship title instead of Lewis Hamilton .

Massa trial: First court hearings scheduled

What is crucial here is that former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone admitted in an interview with the specialist portal F1-Insider in 2023 that he and then FIA President Max Mosley had learned about the machinations in good time, but that nothing had been done about it for the sake of the image of the premier class.

The English court, more precisely the British High Court in London, before which Massa has brought his case, has now scheduled the first hearings in the matter:

Between October 28th (Ecclestone's 95th birthday!) and October 31st this year, representatives of the International Automobile Federation FIA, the Formula 1 management FOM and, of course, Ecclestone are due to appear in court to deal with the legal aspects of the case.

In an exclusive interview with Motorsport-Total.com , Massa had shown himself convinced of his fight "for justice", as the Brazilian calls it, despite the lengthy process: "What I am definitely striving for is to be recognized. Recognized as a champion, because I deserve it," Massa said.

However, experts consider it extremely unlikely that the Ferrari star will be awarded the world championship title retroactively - rather, financial compensation for the lost earnings, such as high-paying advertising contracts, is likely to be on the table. From the end of October in London, it will be all about one thing: a lot of money.