Efe Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo
Updated Tuesday, March 12, 2024-11:16
Massa 'I am absolutely certain that Alonso knew everything in Singapore '08'
Crashgate An 'unprecedented' scandal and almost unpunished
This Monday , Felipe Massa
filed a lawsuit in the British courts against the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the organizers of Formula One to "correct the historical injustice" of the 2008 world title, which
Lewis Hamilton
won , with one point. difference over the Brazilian.
In addition, he has sued the head of F1 at that time, the British businessman
Bernie Ecclestone
.
"I always said that I would fight until the end. Since the FIA and the FOM ('Formula One Management', holder of the commercial rights of F1) did nothing,
we will seek the correction of this injustice in court
," Massa said in an interview with the 'Ge' portal.
The current Stock Car driver, the main category of Brazilian motorsport, presented the actions before the High Court of Justice in London.
"The matter is now with the lawyers, who are fully authorized to do whatever is necessary to ensure justice is done in sport," he added.
According to
O Globo
, Massa demands in both processes compensation of between 64 and 150 million pounds, which is equivalent to between
80 and 190 million dollars
.
The amount includes
prize money and other possible deals he could have gotten
as champion.
The Brazilian questions the result of the 2008 World Cup and specifically the
Singapore Grand Prix
, in which the Renault team bosses caused the Brazilian driver
Nelson Piquet Jr.
to crash to cause the safety car to enter the track, the case known as
crashgate
.
That maneuver allowed the comeback of his teammate, the Spanish
Fernando Alonso
, who won a race in which Massa was left out of the points.
Massa considers that that race prevented him from ultimately lifting the 2008 title, which Hamilton finally achieved with an advantage of just one point ahead of the Brazilian.
The former Ferrari driver already announced in April last year that he would study legal measures, after Ecclestone acknowledged that he and the then president of the FIA
Max Mosley
chose not to do anything, despite knowing about the irregularities committed in Singapore.
Previously, Piquet confessed what happened to the FIA, which then decided to expel Renault boss
Flavio Briatore
and strategist
Pat Symonds
, and exempt Piquet and Alonso, today an Aston Martin driver.