$13 MN Lawsuit Against Lewis Hamilton Takes Backseat as Felipe Massa Announces “Great” Racing Comeback

The $13 million lawsuit is still going on. If you’re unaware of what’s been happening, Felipe Massa filed a lawsuit that he hopes would retroactively give him the 2008 championship win. Lewis Hamilton narrowly edged out Massa that season, with a just one-point differential. Massa still has the hunger to win. Not only is he focusing on the 2008 lawsuit, but he has also set his eyes on something new. Something beyond the realm of F1. Yes, Crashgate cost him a lot, but Massa now has a new project. 

It is evident that the Brazilian has not lost his passion for racing. Putting all his efforts into the lawsuit aside, Felipe Massa is now making a comeback into the world of racing. Unlike his open-wheel career in F1, the former Ferrari driver is now dipping his toes in the world of endurance racing. 

Felipe Massa’s enticing endurance debut

Felipe Massa recently took to X to announce his racing comeback. He said, “I’m here to do a great and big announcement.” What is it? He’ll be trying his luck out in the endurance world, partnering with three other drivers and Riley Motorsport in the 24 Hours of Daytona. The Florida race on the 27th and 28th of January will see the Brazilian return to action after his 2020 appearance in Formula E. He will be teaming up with Australian racing driver Josh Burdon, American Gar Robinson, and “Brazilian brother” Felipe Fraga. His endurance dream is now a reality, thanks to an invitation from Texas’ very own Gar Robinson. 

In the video accompanying his announcement, Massa stated that he was thrilled to be a part of this legendary event. “I always try to do one of these races in my career. This will be the first time that I will race in 24 Hours of Daytona.” While he may not have been successful in winning the 2008 F1 championship, he’s gunning for victory in Daytona. “Two Brazilians in search of victory!” claims Massa in his tweet, referring to himself and Felipe Fraga. Even in the video, his desire to win is quite evident. As Massa himself put it, “Let’s push, Drive to win.”

However, he’s not just focused on getting the dub in Daytona. He wants the 2008 championship win as well. He hasn’t lost focus on the important issue at hand – claiming the 2008 championship by winning the lawsuit. As a measure to get support for his cause, his legal team has left no stone unturned. In fact, they’ve sought support from the one person who gained the most from Crashgate. And no, it wasn’t Fernando Alonso, the winner of the 2008 Singapore GP.

Read more: Felipe Massa Pulls Out “Integrity” Card to Emotionally Blackmail Lewis Hamilton in $13,000,000 lawsuit

Will Lewis Hamilton nullify his own championship? 

A few months ago, Felipe Massa’s team reached out to Lewis Hamilton. Talking about this, Bernardo Viana, one of Massa’s lawyers, told Reuters, “[Hamilton] is an important ambassador for the sport and has always defended sporting integrity. He is an honorary Brazilian citizen and very well-liked by Brazilians, so I hope he will support us. We have absolutely nothing against Hamilton.” While Massa’s team tried to appeal to Hamilton’s connection to Brazil, the Brit was having none of it.

The seven-time world champion doesn’t seem too affected by everything happening on the sidelines. In fact, Lewis Hamilton went on record stating that he would much rather focus on helping his team week in and week out. “If that’s the direction that Felipe wants to go, that’s his decision,” the Mercedes driver stated. “I prefer not to focus on the past. Whether it’s 15 years ago, two years ago, or three days ago. I’m only interested in the present, and my focus is on helping my team.”

Watch This Story: How Fernando Alonso’s 2008 Singapore GP Win Became One of F1’s Worst Controversies – Crashgate

With Felipe Massa focusing on the 24 Hours of Daytona in the coming months, do you think he’ll make further inroads in his lawsuit? Will the 2008 championship ever be his?