Massa world title soap continues: FIA and FOM lawsuit looms
F1 News
- Toby McLuskie
Felipe Massa is leaving no stone unturned that he still wants money after missing out on the 2008 world title. If the FIA and FOM wait any longer to respond to the claim, Massa's legal team will file a lawsuit in the British High Court.
Massa and the 2008 Formula One world title
Nelson Piquet junior deliberately crashed his car at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. This allowed his teammate Fernando Alonso to win the race, giving the title to Lewis Hamilton. The Formula One world champion often gets a hefty bonus paid into his bank account, and so Massa never saw that amount.
The FIA and FOM have not yet responded to Massa's claim. Both have indicated that it was also not a realistic goal to formally respond to the claim during the summer break, with shortage of personnel. Massa and his team are not served by this and have again informed the FIA and FOM that a three-month delay is not considered reasonable by them.
Letters from team Massa to FIA and FOM
Autosport.com has seen the letters sent from team Massa to the FIA and FOM. These state that the authorities should have responded immediately after getting the 'Letter Before Claim' and that the summer absence should not have delayed the process. It further states that a possible delay in processing Massa's request for answers is not acceptable.
"Please provide your response by 4pm on 8 September 2023, failing which we anticipate being instructed to file claims in the UK High Court.” Massa's legal team informs in the letter. How this soap opera will proceed will soon become clear. The case is still open.