Explained: Felipe Massa's $82M verdict, what it means and what it doesn't

17 years after his title loss, Felipe Massa had dragged the FIA, the Formula One Management, and ex-F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone to court for the 2008 championship loss. The initial hearing for the lawsuit took place at the tail end of October, and the court's latest verdict has allowed the matter to soon enter trial.

Massa had lost the 2008 drivers' championship to Lewis Hamilton by a solitary point. This was seemingly a fair and square result after a year-long battle between the two championship rivals.

However, the Crashgate scandal in Singapore was one of the primary reasons that saw Massa lose his lead in the race and finish a distant 13th. All the defendants allegedly knew about the scandal but decided to keep mum to protect F1's image.

Massa is fighting for this issue in court as he asserts that if the FIA had correctly annulled the results of the inaugural Singapore GP, then he would have been crowned the world champion that year. So, let's take a deeper look at what the London High Court's latest verdict means for the whole lawsuit:

What the High Court verdict means for Felipe Massa

After the initial hearings that took place in the tail end of October, both parties argued their cases. Here, the defendants had claimed that the Brazilian had put forth a case too late, as the incident took place back in 2008.

On the other hand, Massa argued that all the details about the case were gathered as late as 2023, when Ecclestone had claimed in an interview that he and former FIA President Max Mosley knew about the whole scandal but decided to keep this issue behind closed doors.

Viewing the timeline of the evidence, the court ruled against FIA, FOM, and Bernie Ecclestone's wishes not to drop the conspiracy charge. Instead, it gave the green light for the lawsuit to move into a full-fledged triad.

This would allow Felipe Massa to fight for monetary compensation that he would have suffered by not becoming an F1 world champion in the long run. So, he and his lawyer team would give their all to secure the $82 million that he is suing the defendants for.

What it doesn't mean

While the court's verdict lays out that Felipe Massa's case has some strength to be fought in the courtroom, it carries some clauses along with it. The green light for a full trial doesn't mean that the former Ferrari driver would surely emerge as the winner in the case.

Secondly, the case will not get over soon, as Massa has put up conspiracy charges against the trio, which often take time to prove, even if the court agrees afterwards.

Moreover, there is no assurance that Felipe Massa would bag the whole $82 million if the defendants are declared guilty. The London High Court can decide the final amount that the trio would have to pay if the Brazilian is declared the winner in the lawsuit.

Lastly, the most important point relies on the fact that if Massa wins, the history books cannot be rewritten to portray him as the world champion. Lewis Hamilton will retain the title as Mr. Justice Jay said (via BBC):

"The present claim cannot of course rewrite the outcome of the 2008 drivers' world championship, but if declaratory relief along the lines sought were granted, that is how Mr Massa would present his victory to the world, and it is also how it would be perceived by the public."

So, there is a long-drawn fight still left to go in the Felipe Massa vs FIA, FOM, and Bernie Ecclestone case, where the court's subsequent verdict(s) will decide where the lawsuit is headed.

Edited by Geetansh Pasricha