Felipe Massa has been given an October date for the first hearings of his case against Formula 1 bosses over the 2008 season.

The Brazilian’s case will be heard on October 28 in the UK High Court with Massa contesting the result of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

Felipe Massa F1 court case given starting date

The infamous ‘Crashgate’ was thought to have been consigned to F1’s past but revelations by Bernie Ecclestone to F1 Insider in March 2023 revealed both he and FIA president Max Mosley knew the crash was deliberate during the 2008 season, something they had previously claimed otherwise.

As a result, Massa filed a case with the British courts claiming “moral” and “reputational” damages as a result of the incident.

A date of October 28 to 31 has now been set as the starting point of proceedings.

Representatives of the FIA, Formula One Management and Ecclestone, whose birthday is on the same day, will be required to appear in the London court as the case is heard for the first time.

Massa told PlanetF1.com in March that he is “here to be recognised as World Champion” having lost out on the 2008 title to Lewis Hamilton by one point.

It remains unlikely that Massa will be handed the F1 title as a result of the proceedings meaning financial compensation could be handed out should the Brazilian win.

In September 2023, Massa’s legal team sent preservation notices on documentation to several associated parties in the case.

Ferrari, the team Massa raced with in 2008, received such a notice, as did Alpine (the current iteration of the Renault F1 team).

Renault’s 2008 title sponsor ING, Briatore, Symonds, and FIA sporting director Steve Nielsen (then-sporting director at Renault), were also given notices. These were instructions to all parties that they have a duty to the court to ensure the preservation of any relevant documentation under their control that may be relevant to the proceedings.

A preservation notice is an instruction to ensure documentation is not deleted, destroyed, altered, or annotated in any fashion.

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Any and all documentation and information pertinent to the case, which could include sponsorship agreements, clauses, renewals, communications with FOM and the FIA about the events of 2008 and ’09, and any documentation regarding the investigation into Renault and the World Motor Sport Council’s reportage were also to be retained.

In a statement to PlanetF1.com, Massa’s legal representative Bernardo Viana said: “FIA and FOM are completing an internal investigation.

“They have requested one last extension to the deadline they initially asked for, from October 12th to November 15th.

“We have agreed to this final period because, if the new administration is indeed looking into the matter in good faith, they will certainly reach the same conclusion we and so many people around the world have.

“We would like to know what Formula 1’s new leadership’s position is on the recently disclosed scandal and the injustice faced by Felipe Massa.”

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