Lewis Hamilton has spoken for the first time about the £64 million lawsuit Felipe Massa has lodged against Bernie Ecclestone, F1 and the FIA over the 2008 F1 world championship.
Last week, Massa, along with RacingNews365 was in London’s Royal Courts of Justice for a three-day pre-trial hearing in front of Mr Justice Jay.
There, lawyers for Massa, led by Nick de Marco KC, argued that the Brazilian had a right to go to a full trial of the High Court over a “conspiracy” led by Ecclestone to keep quiet about the fact that he, and then FIA president Max Mosley knew during the 2008 season that Nelson Piquet Jr had crashed on purpose in Singapore.
Massa has brought the case against Ecclestone, the FIA and F1 after a 2023 interview in which he claimed he was told during the season, and not during the 2009 World Motor Sport Council investigation, which reported that September of the deliberate nature of Piquet’s crash.
Mosley had been informed by Charlie Whiting of Piquet Jr’s crash after being informed at the 2008 Brazilian GP by Nelson Piquet Sr of the deliberate nature of the crash, but as there was no evidence, and Piquet Jr was not willing to testify, nothing could be done.
Ecclestone’s lawyer, David Quest KC, John Marzhad KC for the FIA and Anneliese Day KC for F1 all aruged in front of Mr Justice Jay that the case was statue-barred and that Massa had effectively run out of time to bring his case.
Day even argued that given the close links between Ecclestone and Mosley, Massa should have known that Ecclestone knew during 2008 of the deliberate nature of the crash.
Massa is seeking £64 million in lost earnings he felt he would have earned as F1 world champion, to be known as the ‘rightful’ champion of 2008, and is also seeking an apology from the FIA for not investigating properly.
He is not however seeking to overturn the championship and strip Hamilton of his first title, something it is doubtful the court has to the power to order, should the case proceed to a full trial.
Mr Justice Jay is yet to publish his findings about whether the case should go to a full trial, as of 08:30 GMT on Friday, 7th November, although his verdict is expected imminently.
Hamilton, who is not named as a defendant in the case, was asked about the case for the first time ahead of the Brazilian GP and days after the 17th anniversary of snatching the title away from Massa on the final corner of the final lap of the 2008 season.
But the seven-time champion does not feel the case has anything to do with him.
“I don’t have a view on it. I’m not in touch with it at all, not reading about it,” Hamilton told media, including RacingNews365.
“It’s nothing really to do with me, so I’m just trying to arrive at my weekends, and just focus on my job.
“And whatever the reasons that Felipe has, I’m sure he’s got the conviction within him, and that’s what he needs to do.”
