Felipe Massa testified in court.

      Proceedings continue in the High Court of London in Felipe Massa's lawsuit against the FIA, FOM and Bernie Ecclestone, whom he accuses of conspiracy and criminal inaction after Nelson Piquet Jr.'s deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

      The Brazilian driver gave testimony in which he described the events that occurred after Piquet's crash and recounted his actions when it became known that the crash had been staged.

      "Soon after the finish of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix Jean Todt [at the time Chief Executive of Ferrari] called me into his office to discuss the race," Felipe Massa said. "Stefano Domenicali [at the time Ferrari team principal] was also at that meeting. Jean Todt said he was sure Nelson had deliberately crashed the car.

      I didn't believe him, because I knew Todt disliked Flavio Briatore [at the time Renault team principal]. They had a personal rivalry. I couldn't know whether Nelson had crashed the car deliberately, but I didn't think a driver was capable of such cheating.

      So I told Todt that, in my opinion, he was wrong, and I wanted to concentrate on the next race and win the 2008 World Championship. Stefano Domenicali also seemed surprised by Jean's words. Nobody discussed the possibility of contesting the results.

      In April 2009, a few days before the Bahrain Grand Prix, I was in Dubai with Nicolas Todt. I was walking past a restaurant and noticed Jean Alesi having lunch with Flavio Briatore. They invited us to join them for lunch. During the meal I asked Briatore whether he had asked Nelson to deliberately crash the car at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

      Briatore denied that Nelson had crashed the car intentionally. But from his answer I thought he was probably lying, although I did not know that for certain.

      I spoke again with Jean Todt, Nicolas Todt and Stefano Domenicali about the conversation with Flavio Briatore, but they again said it was just talk, and we could not do anything.

      In July 2009 several Formula 1 drivers organised a karting event in Italy. I flew there with Nelson and asked him directly whether he had crashed in Singapore deliberately or not. Nelson denied doing it intentionally, but his answer did not convince me of its truthfulness. Nevertheless, I did not know for sure and had no information to confirm it."

      When it became known during the days of the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix that the Singapore crash had been staged, Felipe Massa was recovering from injuries sustained a month earlier at the Hungarian round. Felipe describes the subsequent events as follows: "Seeing the news, I immediately called Jean Todt. The crash was big news and I wanted us to do something. I told him I wanted Ferrari to fight for the 2008 championship title.

      I remember Jean Todt arranging several calls with Ferrari's lawyer, Professor Henry Peter, who worked at a law firm in Lugano, Switzerland. Henry Peter was not my lawyer, but at that time I knew he advised Ferrari – Gestions Sportives Automobiles SA (GSA).

      My contract with Ferrari included a contract with GSA, and Peter's firm helped me with the paperwork for contracts. Henry Peter stated that, since the 2008 champions' award ceremony had already taken place, the results could not be changed.

      He said I could not file a claim to change the 2008 championship results. I never received written advice from Henry Peter, but I trusted his words said during telephone conversations."

      The defendants' counsel asked Massa why he had not taken further action at that time. The former Ferrari driver replied that the Scuderia's lawyers had repeatedly told him that he could do nothing.

      Hearings continue...