Felipe Massa has succeeded in taking Formula One Management, FIA and the former FIA president Bernie Ecclestone to trial, about the conspiration regarding his 2008 Formula 1 title loss, and specifically, a crash from Nelson Piquet Jr. at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, that resulted in teammate Fernando Alonso winning the race due to the entrance of a safety car, ruining Massa's attempt at the title that eventually was won by Lewis Hamilton by one point.
Massa sued them before the High Court of London, asking form £64 million ($84million) in damages for loss of earning and sponsor. In 2009, Piquet Jr. revealed that he had been given orders to crash on purpose to help Alonso (and indirectly causing Massa to lose the title). After years of conspiration, it was later revealed by Ecclestone himself that Formula 1 management and FIA knew about the staged crashed and covered it up to save F1's reputation.
Ecclestone's lawyers said that Massa's claim come too late and are misguided, but Judge Robert Jay from London's High Court rejected the attempts to dismiss the lawsuit. Jay says that Massa has "a real prospect of success" on the inducement of breach and conspiracy claims, but feels it will be tough for Massa legal team to find enough evidence to support all their claims (via Motorsport).
"The deliberate crash cost me a world title", says Massa
Felipe Massa, in a statement, said that this is "an extraordinary victory for me, for justice and for everyone passionate about Formula 1". "The deliberate crash cost me a world title, and the authorities at the time chose to cover up the facts instead of defending the integrity of the sport.
"They did everything they could to stop the lawsuit, but our fight is for justice, and today we took a decisive step. The truth will prevail at trial. We will investigate everything thoroughly. Every document, every communication, every piece of evidence revealing the conspiracy among the defendants will be presented."
In case there was any doubt, the judge also pointed out that while the court can award damages to Massa, it cannot overturn the results of the 2008 season, set in stone. Massa went on to win 11 races before his retirement in 2017, but none after the dramatic 2008 season, where he won 6.