Massa takes action against F1, FIA, Ecclestone in London High Court
LONDON, (Reuters) - Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa has taken action in the London High Court against Formula One, former commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the governing FIA seeking recognition as 2008 world champion and financial compensation.
A court document provided by Massa's representatives said the best estimate of his alleged financial losses from missing out on the title by a single point was 64 million pounds ($82 million) plus interest.
That sum represented the difference in salary for the remainder of his career and money from sponsorship and commercial opportunities, as well as a 1.7 million pound bonus he would have received from Ferrari.
"I always said that I would fight until the end. As FIA and FOM decided to do nothing, we will seek the correction of this historical injustice through the courts," Massa said.
"The matter is now with the lawyers and they are fully authorized to do whatever is necessary so that justice is done for the sport."
Formula One Management (FOM) and the Paris-based International Automobile Federation would not comment on the move when contacted by Reuters.
The 2008 title went to Britain's Lewis Hamilton, who was then racing for McLaren and is now a seven-times champion with Mercedes.
Reuters was unable to locate immediately a record of a lawsuit brought by Massa on the court's electronic filing system but Massa's representatives provided court documents which stated that the lawsuit was filed yesterday. Massa, 42, wants the FIA to acknowledge it breached its own regulations by not immediately investigating a Singapore Grand Prix crash that blew up the following year into
one of the sport's biggest scandals.
The Brazilian has highlighted an Ecclestone quote to the German website F1 Insider stating that Massa should have been world champion and was "deprived of the title he deserved".
The Briton, now 93, also said there wasnot "enough information at that time to investigate the matter" and cancel the Singapore race. Ecclestone told Reuters last August he could not remember saying the quotes attributed to him.
"Attempts to resolve the matter amicably have not been successful so far, leaving, therefore, no alternative but to take the issue to court," Brazilian law firm Vieira Rezende Advogados said in a statement.