Lewis Hamilton warned ‘you need to speak about it’ as F1 legend risks being stripped of title

LEWIS HAMILTON has been urged to speak about Felipe Massa's ongoing legal battle with the FIA and Formula One.

Former Ferrari driver Massa, 42, opened legal proceedings against F1 and its governing body earlier this year.

He claims he lost out on the 2008 world title to Hamilton after Renault’s Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed to give team-mate Fernando Alonso an advantage in Singapore.

Massa believes the F1 authorities did not take adequate action, despite being aware of the "crashgate" scandal, before Hamilton was crowned champion for the first time.

Several drivers have declined the chance to wade in on the controversial legal claim.

But Massa believes Hamilton NEEDS to have his say.

Speaking to PlanetF1, the Brazilian said: "No, we haven’t had any communication. Everything that we are doing is not against Lewis.

"I mean, I really respect Lewis as a driver for everything that he’s done, he’s one of the best drivers in the history of Formula One. So many records, with many titles.

"But what I’m doing is against the result of a manipulated race. At the point in the race where the manipulation happened, I was leading, I was first in that race. So it’s nothing against Lewis.

"I really like Lewis as a driver and he’s doing a lot of things for justice, so many different kinds of justice in the world.

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"I think, one time, he will need to speak and to talk about the situation. I think it’s pretty clear I’m not doing anything against him.

"I’m doing it against the justice of the sport. When I am at home, and I see my phone after the Bernie Ecclestone interview, after the Charlie Whiting interview in the Max Mosley documentary that he knew at the last race of the season at Interlagos what happened in the Singapore race.

"After my son knew about it, he asked me, ‘you are not doing anything?’

"So I’m doing that for justice. I really believe what I’m doing is correct because this is not acceptable.

"We’re not talking about a broken engine, or someone pushing me out of the race.

"We’re not talking about the sporting situation, we’re talking about the manipulation that changed the result."

Mercedes team principle Toto Wolff fears F1 will be plunged into "disarray" if Massa wins his legal battle.

However, he does not think the ex-Ferrari man has a case.

Wolff said: "I don't think he has a case, to be honest. We are signing up to sporting regulations. They're very clear, and you commit as a licence holder.

"If everybody were to open up situations then the sport would be in disarray, and especially when you look at the full championships.

"There are so many things that have an influence whether you win or lose that I don't see the case to be honest.

"On the civil case side, I don't know, let's evaluate whether there's some damages that could be claimed.

"This is like watching a soap opera playing out in front of me."