Felipe Massa’s High Court claims are a “misguided attempt” to reopen the result of the 2008 drivers’ championship, in which he was the runner-up to Lewis Hamilton , lawyers for former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone have said.

Hamilton’s first F1 world championship is the subject of legal action, with Brazilian Massa bringing a £64million legal claim against Formula One Management, its governing body the FIA and Ecclestone at the court in London.

Ecclestone, the FIA and Formula One Management are defending the claims, and on Wednesday applied for the case to be thrown out.

Massa says he is the rightful winner of the 2008 title, which he lost by a single point after a deliberate crash at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Renault staged a win for Fernando Alonso by ordering Nelson Piq

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