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Former Formula One driver Felipe Massa said on Monday he had filed a lawsuit in a London court against auto racing’s governing body FIA, series owner Formula One Management (FOM) and FOM’s former CEO Bernie Ecclestone amid his attempt to claim the 2008 title.
The 42-year-old Brazilian added that he is seeking to receive an amount in damages that he did not disclose.
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Massa, who has said since last year he is the “rightful” champion of 2008 due to the incident known as ‘Crashgate,’ was the runner-up in the Driver’s Championship to Lewis Hamilton.
Former Ferrari and Williams driver Massa said in a statement his case would be heard at the King’s Bench Division of the High Court.
Massa, who retired in 2017, was leading the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix when fellow-Brazilian Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crashed his Renault into the wall on lap 14 of the 61-lap race.
The crash triggered a safety car that benefited his team mate Fernando Alonso, who went on to win while Massa failed to score after a bungled pitstop.
Hamilton, racing for McLaren at the time and now an honorary Brazilian citizen, eventually beat Massa by a point for the first of his record-equalling seven championships.
Michael Schumacher, Massa’s former Ferrari team mate and close friend of the Brazilian during his racing career, is the only other driver to have won seven titles.
F1 had a rule at the time that the outcome of a championship could not be changed after the end of season awards ceremony.
Information from the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report