Felipe Massa’s court case against the FIA, FOM, and Bernie Ecclestone was heard by a London court this week. The retired Brazilian F1 driver is seeking £64m in damages for lost sponsorship and contracts after losing the 2008 championship title by one point to Lewis Hamilton. The core issue revolves around the ‘Crashgate’ scandal, which saw Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to help teammate Fernando Alonso win the race. This caused Massa to not score any points in the race, eventually leading him to lose the championship in the final corner of a wet Brazilian Grand Prix a month later. In a 2023 interview, Ecclestone admitted that then FIA president Max Mosley knew about ‘Crashgate’ but did not take action to protect F1’s brand image. The FIA did not take action until the information emerged the following year, after Piquet was dropped from Renault. Had the Singapore Grand Prix been scratched from the season’s results, Hamilton would have lost the six points he gained for his P3 finish. The first hearing ended on Friday, with the judge saying, “Judgment will be reserved to be handed down at a future date.”
FIA presidential candidate Laura Villars sued the organization over its democratic standards. Current FIA rules require candidates to assemble a team of seven vice-presidents from six global regions. Fabiana Ecclestone, the wife of former F1 leader Bernie Ecclestone, is the only eligible vice-president in South America and is on current FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s team. This effectively means that none of the other three presidential candidates can run in the election, putting Ben Sulayem on track to win unopposed in December. Villars has filed a lawsuit in the French courts against the FIA, seeking the delay of the FIA election until the court can reach a final ruling can be reached. Given the urgency of the matter, the first hearing is set for November 10. The FIA presidential election is set to take place on December 12.
The FIA has confirmed all teams complied with the cost cap in 2024, aside from a minor procedural breach by Aston Martin. The cost cap was introduced in 2021 at a time when huge spending by the large teams was making it challenging for smaller teams to remain competitive. The budget cap for 2024 was $145m, reducing to $135m. As reported in last week’s edition of the Weekly F1 Recap, Aston Martin was found to have failed to turn in signed documents by the March 31 deadline, although the team remained within budget. The FIA opted not to impose a financial punishment on Aston Martin, as the violation was due to the “unpredictable circumstances outside the control of the F1 team.” It was believed that another team had breached the regulations, but the FIA cleared all teams.
Longstanding Liberty Media chairman John Malone will step down from his role at the end of the year. Liberty Media is the American company that purchased Formula One in 2017. Malone founded the company back in 1991, but believes now is the ideal time to step down. Vice Chairman Robert Bennett will take over the role starting next year. Bennett assumed his role as Vice Chairman at the start of this year, having served on the board of directors since 1994.
Aston Martin will promote Jak Crawford as its third driver for 2026. The 20-year-old joined the team’s junior programme last year, completing various simulator sessions, private tests, and practice outings, most recently at the Mexican Grand Prix. He is also competing in Formula 2, currently only 19 points behind championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli with two race weekends still ahead of him. His promotion to Aston Martin reserve driver could put him on the short list to replace Fernando Alonso, should he retire. The 44-year-old Spaniard’s contract runs until the end of 2026.
Liam Lawson has been cleared of any wrongdoing at the Mexican Grand Prix, despite being accused by OMDAI Sport Mexico. Mexico’s motorsport federation insisted that Lawson had failed to slow under double yellow flags at the Mexican Grand Prix, causing a near-miss with marshals on track in the first corner. The FIA, which has already been investigating the incident, released a statement saying Lawson had “slowed appropriately and reacted correctly” and was not to blame for the incident. While the FIA understands that the dangerous incident could “provoke concern and numerous comments,” it reiterated that the full internal investigation will take time.
Charles Leclerc is now engaged to long-time girlfriend Alexandra Saint Mleux. The couple have been together for at least the past few years, first being spotted publicly together in July 2023. Born in France, the 24-year-old Saint Mleux now lives in Monaco with Leclerc, who had lived in the country his entire life.
It can be challenging for even the most avid fans to keep up with the fast-paced world of Formula One. The Weekly F1 Recap is a series published each Monday that breaks down the action, both on and off the circuit, into bit-sized pieces. It's perfect for casual and experienced fans alike.
