Ecclestone, FIA and Formula 1 granted appeal in Massa £64m court case

Appeal granted in Massa legal battle

Bernie Ecclestone, the FIA and Formula 1 have been granted an appeal by the UK Supreme Court against the verdict that would have allowed Felipe Massa’s £64 million court case to proceed to a full trial.

Massa is pursuing £64 million in damages after alleging a conspiracy involving Ecclestone and then-FIA president Max Mosley. His claim centres on the assertion that they became aware during the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix weekend that Nelson Piquet Jr had deliberately crashed in Singapore.

Massa’s claim and the High Court ruling

Massa was not seeking to overturn the 2008 world championship, which was won by Lewis Hamilton. Instead, he wanted to be publicly declared the rightful champion.

During the three-day High Court hearing, Mr Justice Jay ruled that Massa could proceed to a full trial, but only on one of the claims he had initially lodged: tort of unlawful means conspiracy. That decision opened the door for a full examination of a case with major legal and reputational implications for some of Formula 1’s most powerful former and current institutions.

The FIA’s legal processes remain a recurring feature of modern motorsport governance, with recent cases such as Alpine’s Right of Review showing how procedural decisions can carry major competitive and political weight. For more on that, read our report on the FIA confirming Alpine’s Right of Review date over Gasly’s Monaco podium penalty.

No comment from F1 or FIA

Lord Justices Reed, Hamblen and Richards granted the appeal on June 4th, meaning Ecclestone, the FIA and Formula 1 can now challenge the earlier decision allowing Massa’s case to move forward.

RacingNews365 has approached Massa’s lead lawyer, Nick de Marco KC, for comment.

When approached, an F1 spokesperson offered "no comment" on the decision to allow the appeal. An FIA spokesperson also declined to comment.