Massa's £64m lawsuit: UK Supreme Court appeal set for February 2027
The UK Supreme Court has listed Bernie Ecclestone's appeal in Felipe Massa's damages claim over the 2008 Singapore 'crashgate' race for 2 and 3 February 2027. A loss for the defendants would send the case to a full trial.
A 2008 race returns to court
The 2008 Singapore Grand Prix is still being argued over in court. The UK Supreme Court has listed the appeal in Felipe Massa's damages claim against Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One Management and the FIA for 2 and 3 February 2027, according to the court's case page and RacingNews365.
What the case is about
Massa is seeking about £64 million, according to RacingNews365, arguing that he lost potential earnings as a world champion. He lost the 2008 title to Lewis Hamilton by a single point. His lawyers allege that Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed in Singapore to trigger a safety car, after which Massa had a poor pit stop and dropped out of the points.
Massa is not asking for Hamilton's title to be overturned. The claim rests on an allegation that Ecclestone and senior FIA figures knew about the crash during 2008. The defendants say they only learned of it in 2009, when Piquet Jr was dismissed and the investigation began.
How it reached the Supreme Court
RacingNews365 reports that in October 2025 the High Court dismissed three of Massa's claims but refused to strike out a claim of unlawful means conspiracy, allowing it to proceed to trial. The defendants then appealed. The Supreme Court's case page, UKSC 2026/0034, lists Ecclestone as appellant and Massa, Formula One Management and the FIA as respondents, with permission to appeal granted on 26 May 2026. The hearing dates are listed as subject to change.
What happens next
If the Supreme Court upholds the appeal, the conspiracy claim ends and there is no full trial. If it is rejected, the case goes forward to a full trial in the High Court. The allegations have not been tested at trial.
For readers of our season pages, the case has no bearing on the 2026 championship. The United States Grand Prix starts at 20:00 UTC on Sunday 25 October, and the court hearing is more than three months after the final round of the season.