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." Ecclestone's lawyer, David Quest KC, informed the court that the case was "a misguided effort to revisit the 2008 Championship," describing it as "a sports-debate-club exercise" that would "strip Mr (Lewis) Hamilton of his 2008 title, despite his involvement in the incident." Anneliese Day KC, representing FOM, further stated: "It was not the safety-car period that altered Massa's fate, but a sequence of subsequent racing mistakes by him and Ferrari. Hamilton excelled over Mr. Massa throughout the Singapore GP and the entire 2008 season." 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." Ecclestone's lawyer, David Quest KC, informed the court that the case was "a misguided effort to revisit the 2008 Championship," describing it as "a sports-debate-club exercise" that would "strip Mr (Lewis) Hamilton of his 2008 title, despite his involvement in the incident." Anneliese Day KC, representing FOM, further stated: "It was not the safety-car period that altered Massa's fate, but a sequence of subsequent racing mistakes by him and Ferrari. Hamilton excelled over Mr. Massa throughout the Singapore GP and the entire 2008 season." 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.

      A "breach of the FIA’s democratic principles and pluralism"

      The FIA is facing a significant legal challenge ahead of the presidential election scheduled for December, as Swiss-French driver and entrepreneur Laura Villars has initiated a lawsuit in France claiming that the organization’s new voting procedures unfairly hinder potential challengers to incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

      Villars, 28, has requested the Paris High Court to delay the election set for December 12 in Uzbekistan, arguing that newly revised regulations effectively prevent any opposing candidates from participating. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 10.

      The rules, updated in June, require candidates to submit a list of seven vice-presidents representing all regions of the FIA globally. However, there is just one eligible South American representative—Fabiana Ecclestone, who is the wife of former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone and has already voiced her support for Ben Sulayem's re-election effort.

      "Given these circumstances, no competing slate could include a South American vice-president," Villars stated in her legal submission, describing the process as a "breach of the FIA’s democratic principles and pluralism."

      "I am not opposing the FIA—I am working to safeguard it," Villars told AFP. "Democracy does not threaten the FIA—it is its foundation."

      Her attorney, Robin Binsard, confirmed that the emergency proceedings have been sanctioned, indicating that the case underscores "serious democratic deficiencies within the FIA."

      Villars’ lawsuit echoes similar concerns raised by Tim Mayer, a former FIA steward and the son of McLaren co-founder Teddy Mayer, who withdrew from the election earlier this month, asserting that "the FIA’s process heavily favors the incumbent team."

      "It’s a one-horse race—an illusion of democracy."

      As reported by RMC and AFP, the FIA has chosen not to comment, citing the ongoing legal proceedings. The governing body, responsible for overseeing Formula 1, is also dealing with an unrelated criminal complaint from Susie Wolff, the head of the F1 Academy, regarding its handling of last year's conflict-of-interest investigation.

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." Ecclestone's lawyer, David Quest KC, informed the court that the case was "a misguided effort to revisit the 2008 Championship," describing it as "a sports-debate-club exercise" that would "strip Mr (Lewis) Hamilton of his 2008 title, despite his involvement in the incident." Anneliese Day KC, representing FOM, further stated: "It was not the safety-car period that altered Massa's fate, but a sequence of subsequent racing mistakes by him and Ferrari. Hamilton excelled over Mr. Massa throughout the Singapore GP and the entire 2008 season." 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.

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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." Ecclestone's lawyer, David Quest KC, informed the court that the case was "a misguided effort to revisit the 2008 Championship," describing it as "a sports-debate-club exercise" that would "strip Mr (Lewis) Hamilton of his 2008 title, despite his involvement in the incident." Anneliese Day KC, representing FOM, further stated: "It was not the safety-car period that altered Massa's fate, but a sequence of subsequent racing mistakes by him and Ferrari. Hamilton excelled over Mr. Massa throughout the Singapore GP and the entire 2008 season." 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.

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