Felipe Massa has filed a lawsuit against Formula 1, motorsport champion Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA’s governing body.
The former Ferrari driver is aiming to be recognised as the 2008 world champion, in addition to a sum of £64 million.
The Brazilian has been claiming since last year that he is the “legitimate” 2008 world champion due to one of the sport’s biggest scandals, dubbed by some as “Crashgate. “
At the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, fellow Brazilian Nelson Piquet Jr said he intentionally crashed into a wall in an attempt to defeat Renault teammate Fernando Alonso, who won the race.
Piquet Jr said he had been ordered by his team to do so, sparking a controversy that saw Renault fail to challenge a race fixing fee and the departure of two senior officials from the team.
The twist of fate led to the deployment of a protection car, which Ferrari failed at a pit stop and Massa dropped from first to 13th.
At the end of the season, Massa lost by a single point to Lewis Hamilton, meaning the incident had a significant impact on the title.
Crashgate was only revealed a year later and Renault was sanctioned, but officials insisted that the passage of time meant the effects may not be nullified.
On Monday, the 42-year-old, represented through Brazilian law firm Vieira Rezende Advogados, filed a complaint.
In a statement, he said: “I have said I will fight to the end. As the FIA and FOM have made the decision to do nothing, we will seek to correct this historic injustice in court. “
“The case is now in the hands of the lawyers and they have full authority to do whatever it takes to ensure justice is done for the sport. “
Ecclestone, 93, who ran F1 for four decades until 2017, said on Monday: “If you had asked me, I would have said surely it was the right thing to do, go to court and let an Englishman make a judgement on what is right and wrong.
“I can’t say anything about the result and what’s going to happen. I have no idea, I don’t think anyone has a clue, but from his point of view, it is better for an Englishman to make a judgment to give a verdict.
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Last September, Hamilton, who earned his first name in the year of the controversy, said: “If that’s the direction Felipe needs to take, that’s his decision. I wouldn’t focus on the past.
“Whether it’s 15 years ago, two years ago or three days ago, I’m only interested in the offer and my goal is my team this week. “
The £64 million figure comes from the estimate of the alleged monetary loss suffered as a result of the loss of the title, plus interest.
The sum represented the difference in salary for the rest of his career and cash from sponsorships and business opportunities, such as a £1. 7 million bonus he would have earned Ferrari.
Formula One Management (FOM) and the Paris-based Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile declined to comment.
Massa won again after 2008, when the Brazilian suffered a near-fatal head injury at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix. He retired in 2017.