OCTOBER 17, 2023

Massa extends crashgate deadline yet again

Felipe Massa's deadline for Formula 1 and the FIA to respond to his threat of legal action has been extended once again.

Recently, former F1 personality Eddie Jordan urged Brazilian Massa, now 42, to stop his crusade to be crowned the retrospective world champion of 2008 over the 'crashgate' scandal.

If it was me, I'd turn the page my man, Jordan said on his Formula For Success podcast.

Former Ferrari driver Massa, however, is refusing to do that, telling Infobae this week that F1 and the FIA robbed me of the 2008 crown because they knew all along that Nelson Piquet jr had crashed on purpose in Singapore.

They didn't do anything because they didn't want to destroy the name of F1, he said.

We have prepared a large legal team with lawyers from six countries and we are going to fight until the end because what happened was not fair for the sport, for me, for my country, for the fans, for Ferrari, Massa added.

The deadline outlined in Massa's initial letter of demand to F1 and the FIA had already been extended to mid-October - and now it has been extended for yet another month.

The FIA and FOM are completing an internal investigation and have requested a final extension of the initially requested deadline, from October 12 to November 15, Massa's lawyer Bernardo Viana confirmed.

We agreed to this latest period because if the new administration actually examines the issue in good faith, it will certainly come to the same conclusion as us and so many people around the world.

Massa continued to explain to Infobae: We will see the response they give us and if we are going to go to court or a tribunal.

He rejected former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone's claim that his push for justice is actually all about money.

For sure in the fight there is money to claim, Massa said. But I base the claim on the championship. The trophy is the most important thing for me.
(GMM)