Lucas di Grassi: Piquet's crash damaged my career

Lucas di Grassi: Piquet's crash damaged my career

      Former Formula 1 driver Lucas di Grassi of Brazil, now competing in Formula E, said in an interview with Racingnews365 that Nelsinho Piquet's deliberate crash in Singapore '08 negatively affected his career.

      He was then Renault's reserve driver and was hoping to take Piquet's seat, but Nelsinho, by agreeing to stage the crash, temporarily saved himself from being sacked.

      Lucas di Grassi: "Piquet's crash damaged my career. I was Renault's reserve driver and hoped to take Nelson's seat, who by that time was practically fired — I was next in line for that seat.

      But after Singapore they renewed Piquet's contract, and my career came to a standstill. Maybe I should sue as well, but I will never do that.

      If it weren't for Piquet's crash, my career could have turned out very differently. I could have driven for Renault, not Virgin, could have scored points — that would have changed my life, including financially.

      Did I think at the time that he deliberately crashed the car? I had suspicions, but no proof. I only learned the whole truth when it became known."

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Massa's attorney Nick di Marco - who has also recently represented Alex Palou - contended that the opposing parties had failed to demonstrate that the case "lacks any genuine prospects of success," asserting, "Mr. Massa has a genuine chance of success in all respects." Judge Sir Robert Jay is currently overseeing the preliminary arguments and will determine whether the case should proceed or be dismissed, with a decision expected by Friday. The defendants are seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed. Felipe Massa's long-anticipated legal action against Bernie Ecclestone, the FIA, and Formula One Management (FOM) officially commenced this week at London's Royal Courts of Justice, coincidentally on Ecclestone's 95th birthday. The 44-year-old Brazilian aims to be recognized as the rightful 2008 World Champion and is claiming tens of millions in damages for lost earnings, arguing that the governing bodies of the sport failed to take appropriate action following Nelson Piquet Jr's intentional crash during the 2008 Singapore GP. Massa's attorneys assert that the FIA "breached its regulations by not promptly investigating" the incident, claiming that he "would have secured the Drivers' Championship that year if the correct procedures had been adhered to." However, the defendants are advocating for the dismissal of the lawsuit. In its response, the FIA termed Massa's claim "as torturous as it is overly ambitious," pointing out that the Brazilian's case "painstakingly ignores a list of his own mistakes or those made by his team, Ferrari, during the Singapore GP and other races." 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Lucas di Grassi: Piquet's crash damaged my career

C said that Nelsinho Piquet's deliberate crash in Singapore in 2008 negatively affected his career...