Massa's lawyers agree to crucial extension over 2008 case

Lawyers for Felipe Massa have agreed to a "final" extension in the deadline for the FIA and Formula 1 Management to complete their investigations into the 2008 World Championship.

Massa is seeking to overturn the results of the 2008 season, where he lost the title to Lewis Hamilton by one point after comments from former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone suggested he knew in 2008 of Renault's plan to fix the Singapore Grand Prix by having Nelson Piquet Jr crash.

After Piquet's crash, Massa pitted from the lead, but drove off from his pit-stop with the fuel hose still attached, before finishing outside of the points - with Hamilton banking six points for a third-place finish.

Ecclestone has since claimed not to remember giving the interview earlier this year, but it has been the basis of a renewed effort from Massa's legal team to seek investigations with the ultimate goal of handing him the title as Ecclestone suggested the Marina Bay race should have been scrubbed from the record.

In September, RacingNews365's sources indicated that Preservation Orders had been issued against key personnel involved, including Ferrari, Alpine (then Renault) and Flavio Briatore.

This came after Letter Before Claims were sent to the FIA and FOM, with a deadline of mid-October for a response - although a statement in behalf of Massa's lawyer Bernardo Viana confirmed an extension to this "in good faith."

"The FIA and FOM are completing an internal investigation and have requested one last extension to the deadline they initially asked for, from October 12th to November 15th," read the statement.

"We have agreed to this final period because if the new administration is indeed looking into the matter in good faith, they will certainly reach the same conclusion we and so many people around the world have.

"We would like to know what Formula 1's new leadership's position is on the recently disclosed scandal and the injustice faced by Felipe Massa."

Massa urges Ferrari action

Massa himself has also spoken further on the case, indicating he would welcome Ferrari support for his bid - something boss Frederic Vasseur has been reluctant to endorse.

"I have support, but it's a very complicated situation, people sometimes don't like to talk about it, they prefer to talk about it [face to face] rather than in the media, which I completely understand, but this definitely doesn’t change anything in my fight for justice," Massa said.

"I don’t see why Ferrari would not be on my side, because we lost the championship, they took the championship away from us, from me and from Ferrari.

"When you hear Toto Wolff talking about [Hamilton and Abu Dhabi] 2021, Ferrari would need to do the same.

"Ferrari needs to fight for the best of the team and I don't really see Ferrari far from manipulation, as happened to me.”

"At this point, they haven't really said: 'Okay, we're together.'

"I think they're waiting to see what's going to happen, but what I'm saying is I'm doing this for my country, I'm doing this for my fans, I'm doing this for myself, I'm doing this for my family, I'm doing this for Ferrari, I'm doing this for the fans.

"If Ferrari wants to come in [and support me] they are totally welcome. Otherwise, I’m doing this for justice and that’s the most important thing to me."