Ecclestone dismisses cover-up claims ahead of Massa court case

Bernie Ecclestone has rejected suggestions that Formula 1 deliberately concealed the truth about the 2008 'Crashgate' controversy, as Felipe Massa’s lawsuit nears a London hearing.

The former F1 boss, who turns 95 on the opening day of the October 28 proceedings, told The Times that there was never any mechanism to annul the Singapore Grand Prix, despite Massa’s argument that the result should have been voided.

"There is no way in the world anyone could change or cancel that race," Ecclestone said. "There were no provisions for that to happen. Max (Mosley) knew there was not enough evidence at the time to do anything."

He stressed that the late FIA president had not sought to suppress the scandal. "Max was not saying we should cover this up but just that it was not good for the image of Formula 1," Ecclestone added.

Massa, who lost the 2008 championship to Lewis Hamilton by a single point, maintains the Renault team’s deliberate crash should have invalidated the race, a view strengthened by Ecclestone’s past remark in Germany that Hamilton "shouldn't have" been champion.

Now, however, Ecclestone insists that comment was taken out of context. "This was an interview I gave to someone in Germany. The guy at the time, his English wasn't that good and he was taking notes. It was picked up by someone in England," he explained.

"I didn't even remember the bloody interview until the lawyers submitted it. The lawyers for myself, the FIA and F1 do not understand how it can be heard in a court."

Massa, 44, continues to describe the affair as a "conspiracy" that harmed both him and Brazil, framing his case as a moral fight for justice that could set an important precedent. He is seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages.