F1 News: Felipe Massa's Crashgate Battle Takes Positive Turn For Driver
Felipe Massa is on his way to recover compensation from the F1 authorities after the Crashgate scandal of 2008 that cost him the world title. His lawyers are confident of the case going in the former Ferrari driver's favour.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the 2008 championship title while being in a tight battle with Massa, but not in a normal way as one would expect. When Massa pitted during the Singapore Grand Prix, Nelson Piquet Junior deliberately crashed his Formula 1 car causing Massa to exit the pit in a hurry with the fuel pipe hose still attached to his car.
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The spectacle put Hamilton in the lead by just 1 point and led him to win the championship. If it wasn't for Piquet's crash, the race result would've mostly been in Massa's favour.
However, the scandal only came to light in 2009. But, with the championship winner already announced, nothing else could be done to undo the damage. The story took a turn this year when former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone revealed in an interview that he and the FIA president from 2008, knew about the scandal after it occurred but, remained to stay silent.
The revelation prompted Massa to take the legal route to claim justice. His motive behind the fight with the sport's governing authority is to safeguard Formula 1's integrity. The Brazilian driver also seeks compensation for the lost income he would've earned after winning the championship. In a recent interview with Motorsport.com, he revealed:
"I'm not doing this for the money, I'm doing it for the justice of the sport.
"It should be clear what he did, he crashed deliberately. With this, he manipulated the race and his teammate won."
What does Massa's legal team have to say?
Just last week, his legal team hinted that they would approach the British High Court if there was no response from the FIA or the FOM by 8 September, 16:00 hours. Massa's Brazilian lawyer Bernardo Viana expressed that a team of experts has been put from different specializations to help Massa win the case. When asked if the outcome would be successful, he gave a positive reply saying:
"The chances are high."
The sport's governing authorities have one day left to respond to Massa's legal team before this matter heads to court. Will they?
