Lewis Hamilton’s legacy still in stone amid Massa trial saga

Even though Felipe Massa’s court case against Formula One has been given the green light for trial, a court cannot retroactively award him the 2008 World Championship or rewrite F1 history.

A London High Court judge has allowed Massa’s long-running legal claim to proceed, but with one crucial caveat. While Massa is seeking roughly £64 million (about R1.45 billion) in damages, his bid to be declared the 2008 champion has been explicitly rejected.

The judge in the case stated last week: “The present claim cannot, of course, rewrite the outcome of the 2008 drivers’ world championship.”

Massa’s case centres on the infamous “Crashgate” scandal. He argues that at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed on instructions from Renault team bosses, triggering a safety car that compromised Massa’s race strategy.

Had that result been annulled, Massa believes he would have clinched the title, which he lost to Hamilton by just a single point.

In his legal filings, Massa accuses Formula One Management (FOM), the FIA, and Bernie Ecclestone of conspiring to cover up the incident. He sought declarations that they breached their own regulations by failing to properly investigate the crash.

However, the court has narrowed the scope of the case. It will proceed on “unlawful means conspiracy” and inducement, but not on the basis that the FIA owed Massa a direct duty.

The judge further said that Massa has a “real prospect of proving at trial all the components of his unlawful means conspiracy.”

Still, the request for declaratory relief has been rejected: Massa will not be legally recognised as champion, nor will the court overturn the 2008 results.

Therefore, even if Massa prevails in his claim for damages, the title will not be transferred to him. The court has no power to force the FIA to erase Hamilton’s name from the record books. As the judge noted, the FIA is “outside the reach of this court” when it comes to governing its own sporting history.

Massa’s claim represents compensation for what he argues were lost earnings, sponsorships, and career opportunities, rather than a demand to be crowned champion. If successful, his reward will be financial, not historical.

Lewis Hamilton’s legacy remains unassailable in the eyes of the sport. The legal system may provide Massa with a platform to pursue what he sees as long-overdue recognition, but even a successful verdict will not erase Hamilton’s eight championships.