The legal battle that could force Formula 1 to re-examine its own history is heading for Britain's highest court. Bernie Ecclestone, the FIA and Formula One Management have secured a "leapfrog" appeal, sending their fight with Felipe Massa straight to the UK Supreme Court and bypassing the Court of Appeal — a step that keeps the sport's most awkward lawsuit very much alive.
Everything traces back to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. On Renault's orders, Nelson Piquet Jr crashed on purpose, bringing out a safety car that swung the race to Fernando Alonso. Massa had been leading, only for a botched Ferrari pit stop — released with the fuel hose still attached — to wreck his afternoon. He came home 13th, scored nothing, and lost that year's championship to Lewis Hamilton by one point at the Brazilian finale.
The Brazilian is chasing damages put at as much as £64 million, insisting the title was taken from him. "I lost my peace because I knew that I was robbed. Since then I was never relaxed," he has said. "This is against a race that was manipulated." He is adamant the grievance is with how the sport was run, not the racing itself: "It was a great championship from my side. I was the driver who won more races that year, who started in pole position more times as well."
None of it would be actionable without Ecclestone's own words. Back in 2023 he told F1-Insider that he and the late Max Mosley had known about the Singapore fix during 2008 and had chosen to bury it rather than expose the sport to a scandal. Massa's legal team turned that admission into an "unlawful means conspiracy" claim, and in October 2025 Mr Justice Jay let it head to trial even as he threw out other parts of the case. The High Court subsequently ordered the defendants to cover £250,000 of Massa's costs.
At 95, Ecclestone now tells a different story. In a Times interview he rejected the idea of any cover-up. "There is no way in the world anyone could change or cancel that race," he said, insisting Mosley "knew there was not enough evidence at the time to do anything." He also softened his earlier account: "Max was not saying we should cover this up but just that it was not good for the image of Formula 1." As for the interview that lit the fuse: "I didn't even remember the bloody interview."
Massa has not backed down. "I look forward to proving in court that they conspired to conceal the truth, and I will use all legal means to ensure that this injustice is corrected," he said earlier in the year.
Why the Supreme Court agreed to step in reaches past a single driver. The judges want to settle whether an "unlawful means conspiracy" claim can stand against the men who governed F1 — a question they consider of broad public importance. Should Massa clear that hurdle, historic results everywhere become fair game, and the sport will have to answer for how it handles its own past. Hamilton keeps the 2008 crown for now. The argument over how it was won is only getting louder.
