Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa filed a lawsuit against Formula 1 in London's High Court seeking damages for missing out on the 2008 world championship title.
Brazilian Massa, 42, lost to Lewis Hamilton by a point in a season where the sport was rocked by the "crashgate" scandal at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Renault staged a win for Fernando Alonso by ordering Nelson Piquet Jr to crash in their other car. Massa, leading at the time of Piquet's smash, finished 13th, before losing the championship by the finest of margins. Piquet revealed the following season he was under instruction by his bosses to crash.
Massa has also brought proceedings against governing body the FIA and the sport's former supremo, Bernie Ecclestone. He is reportedly seeking 62 million (HK$620.68 million) in damages.
Ecclestone confessed last year that results from Singapore race should not have stood for the championship standings so Massa would have been champion.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
