The race is not over yet. A trial may be held over allegations made by former Brazilian Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa regarding the 2008 World Championship and the scandal known as “crashgate”, a judge in London ruled on Thursday.
Judge Jay of the High Court in London ruled that he was entitled to try to prove at trial that he had been the victim of a conspiracy.
However, the judge assessed that this trial would not question the awarding of that year’s world drivers’ title to British racer Lewis Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton will not lose the world title he won that season
The title in 2008, the first of seven titles won by Hamilton, was very close, with the Brazilian just one point behind the Briton. But Massa believes he was manhandled during the Singapore Grand Prix, the 15th of 18 races scheduled that year, which was won by Spaniard Fernando Alonso (Renault).
The Brazilian assured that to promote Alonso’s victory, Renault ordered its second driver, Nelson Piquet Jr, to deliberately crash his car into the low wall that borders the track.
Fernando Alonso, who was only 15th on the starting grid, had just refueled when the accident occurred and the intervention of the safety car allowed him to overtake all the other drivers returning to the pits and win the race.
Massa ran out of points after a poor pit stop while Hamilton finished 3rd, scoring valuable points towards the title.
However, due to special International Automobile Federation (FIA) regulations, the championship results cannot be changed retrospectively, Hakim Jay stressed.
But he predicted Felipe Massa could go on trial to claim damages of 64 million pounds (72.5 million euros) from the FIA, Formula One Management (FOM) and his former boss Bernie Ecclestone and try to prove they did not investigate Piquet’s crash in 2008 when they became aware of race manipulation.
This amount is calculated in relation to the salary and commercial contracts he will receive from the world title.
