Massa wins partial victory as Ecclestone, FIA and FOM ordered to pay £250,000 in Crashgate case

The ruling comes after Judge Robert Jay rejected attempts by the defendants to have the case dismissed, allowing the lawsuit brought by the former Ferrari Formula 1 driver to proceed. The payment, reportedly ordered by a British court, must be made within 14 days and represents a small fraction of the millions in damages Massa is seeking.

Massa is pursuing legal action against the FIA, FOM and former Formula 1 supremo Ecclestone, claiming the events surrounding the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix cost him that year’s world championship title.

The Brazilian lost the championship to Lewis Hamilton by a single point after the dramatic finale at Interlagos. Hamilton famously overtook Toyota driver Timo Glock on the final corner of the last lap to secure the position he needed to clinch the title, moments after Massa had crossed the finish line to win the race.

At the centre of Massa’s claim is the race in Singapore earlier that season, later dubbed “Crashgate.” Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed his car to trigger a Safety Car period, a move designed to benefit team mate Fernando Alonso.

The timing of the incident had a major impact on the race. Massa had been leading when the Safety Car was deployed and entered the pits for service. During a chaotic stop he was released with the fuel hose still attached, forcing him to stop at the end of the pit lane and dropping him out of the points.

Alonso went on to win the race while Massa recovered only to finish outside the points, a result that ultimately proved decisive in the championship battle.

Massa argues that Formula 1’s governing authorities were aware of the manipulation but failed to act in time to correct the outcome.

An interview published by F1 Insider and attributed to Ecclestone suggested both the former Formula 1 commercial chief and then FIA president Max Mosley had known about details of the incident earlier than publicly acknowledged. Ecclestone has since denied giving that interview.

The Brazilian driver is seeking damages estimated at between £64 million and $82 million, arguing that the handling of the scandal robbed him of the 2008 drivers’ title.

British courts have already rejected the notion that Massa should retrospectively be declared world champion. However, the broader legal argument over whether Formula 1 authorities failed to act appropriately continues.

Massa has insisted he will pursue the matter fully through the courts: “I am eager to prove in court that they conspired to conceal the truth, and I will use all legal means to ensure this injustice is rectified. Formula 1 is the greatest sport in the world, but it is essential that it is also the fairest.”

The case has now been partially paused after the judge referred a key legal question to the UK Supreme Court. The trial will remain suspended until the country’s highest court decides how that issue should be interpreted, meaning the long-running Crashgate dispute is far from over.