Brazilian Formula One driver Felipe Massa's legal battle against former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and the governing body, Formula 1, over the 'Crashgate' scandal has taken an interesting turn. In a High Court ruling, Massa was allowed to continue part of his case but had other elements dismissed.
The controversy revolves around Nelson Piquet Jr's deliberate crash in Singapore in 2008 that benefited Fernando Alonso and ultimately led to McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton winning the drivers' title. Massa claims he should have been crowned world champion if a timely investigation had taken place, which would have annulled the race result.
A court hearing previously rejected the case, with the defendants arguing it was brought too late. However, in the latest ruling, High Court judge Mr Justice Jay allowed Massa's matter to proceed and stated that he has "real prospects of proving at trial" his claim for damages.
However, the judge rejected Massa's attempt to declare that he should have won the 2008 drivers' title. The decision was made based on the notion that declaring such a statement would essentially rewrite history and alter how F1's governing body governs itself.
Massa is seeking compensation in the region of about £64m, citing that the crash "stole the World Championship from me." Despite the ruling against him, Massa has welcomed the decision, reiterating his stance on what he believes happened.
The controversy revolves around Nelson Piquet Jr's deliberate crash in Singapore in 2008 that benefited Fernando Alonso and ultimately led to McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton winning the drivers' title. Massa claims he should have been crowned world champion if a timely investigation had taken place, which would have annulled the race result.
A court hearing previously rejected the case, with the defendants arguing it was brought too late. However, in the latest ruling, High Court judge Mr Justice Jay allowed Massa's matter to proceed and stated that he has "real prospects of proving at trial" his claim for damages.
However, the judge rejected Massa's attempt to declare that he should have won the 2008 drivers' title. The decision was made based on the notion that declaring such a statement would essentially rewrite history and alter how F1's governing body governs itself.
Massa is seeking compensation in the region of about £64m, citing that the crash "stole the World Championship from me." Despite the ruling against him, Massa has welcomed the decision, reiterating his stance on what he believes happened.
can't say I'm surprised about this new twist in Felipe Massa's case 
. I mean, who wouldn't want a piece of that £64m? 
But seriously, it's crazy to think that all these years later, we're still debating what should've happened back in 2008. Like, can you imagine having to relive that whole season all over again? 
The idea that declaring Massa the true champion would essentially rewrite history is pretty solid reasoning from the judge, though 
.
. And honestly, if anyone deserves that money, it's him 
. The way he was robbed of that championship is still infuriating even now... 
#JusticeForMassa #F1Scandal
. And Alonso gets away with it? That's just not right 
. I'm hoping Massa can prove his case and get some serious compensation 
. £64m is a decent amount, but considering what he's been through, it's barely enough 
. It's not just about Massa; it's about setting a precedent for how F1 handles similar situations in the future 
. Maybe this will lead to some positive changes and a more level playing field for all drivers 
#F1Reform #SportsIntegrity
. I mean, can you imagine if a timely investigation had taken place back in 2008? It's crazy to think about how things could've played out differently for Felipe Massa 
. The fact that the judge allowed part of his case to proceed but dismissed other elements is pretty interesting 
. And £64m is a huge sum of money, fam 
. But hey, at least he's not giving up and keeping the fight alive 
. It's like, can we just move on already? But at the same time, Felipe Massa seems to have a strong case. I mean, who doesn't want their championship title back? 
. If he can prove that his case is legit, then maybe we'll finally get some closure on this whole thing 
it's like, come on guys, 17 years have passed, let's move forward. but at the same time, i feel for massa, he was robbed of that championship and now he's trying to get some justice. good luck with that 
. i'm not sure if massa will win or lose, but it's about time someone spoke up for what really happened back in 2008 
.
. £64m isn't a ton of money, but it's better than nothing 
. Either way, I hope that justice can finally be served for Felipe Massa and his fans 
.
.
... so like Massa is still fightin for justice after all these years and its finally gettin some attention 
... i mean i feel for the dude, his life was ruined by that stupid crash in 2008 
... and omg, declaring that he should've won the world championship? thats a whole different ball game 
... its not just about Massa vs Bernie, its about F1 itself and how it handles these kinda scandals 
like if they did then its basically changin the rules of f1 itself wut r u even gonna do tho 
. I'm glad he's fighting back and trying to get justice, but at the same time, I don't blame Bernie Ecclestone for wanting to move forward with his case