A high court judge ordered the FIA, Formula One Management and former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone to pay the former Ferrari driver £250,000 ($475,000 AUD) in legal costs as the long-running case continues to progress.
Massa launched legal action in 2024 seeking damages after losing the 2008 title to Lewis Hamilton by a single point, with the Brazilian arguing that the outcome of the championship was affected by the infamous Singapore Grand Prix “Crashgate” scandal.
During that race, Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed after being instructed by the team, triggering a safety car that ultimately helped teammate Fernando Alonso win.
Massa had been leading the race for Ferrari but dropped down the order after a disastrous pit stop during the safety car period, eventually finishing outside the points.
The controversy returned to the spotlight in 2023 when Ecclestone suggested in an interview that he and then FIA president Max Mosley had known about the crash during the season but did not act in order to avoid damaging F1’s reputation.
Ecclestone later said his comments had been mistranslated.
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Massa subsequently launched a lawsuit claiming he was the “victim of a conspiracy” that cost him the championship and tens of millions in earnings.
His legal team is seeking up to tens of millions in damages linked to the result of the 2008 season.
The case was allowed to proceed to trial following a pre-trial hearing in London in late 2025, although the court rejected Massa’s request to be retrospectively declared the 2008 world champion.
In the latest development, a judge ordered the defendants to pay the costs related to the most recent stage of legal proceedings, with the payment required within 14 days.
The court also granted part of the defendants’ applications by certifying that a key legal question in the case should be considered by the Supreme Court.
As a result, proceedings in the case have been temporarily paused while that potential Supreme Court application is addressed, although both sides must continue exchanging updated legal documents.
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