Exclusive-Massa's lawyers seek compensation for lost 2008 F1 title

Lawyers for former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa have started legal action against Formula One bosses and the governing FIA seeking substantial damages resulting from an alleged 'conspiracy' that denied him the 2008 championship.

The Letter Before Claim said the Brazilian, now 42, was robbed of the title through actions at the highest level that cost him tens of millions of euros in lost earnings and bonuses.

It said Massa had instructed lawyers in Britain, Brazil, the United States, Switzerland and France.

A Letter Before Claim is a required formal legal notice before court proceedings can be initiated.

There was no immediate response from the FIA and Formula One to a Reuters request for comment. Formula One is currently on an August shutdown.

"Simply put, Mr Massa is the rightful 2008 Driver's Champion, and F1 and FIA deliberately ignored the misconduct that cheated him out of that title," said the letter, seen by Reuters, sent from the London offices of Enyo Law on Aug. 15.

"Mr Massa is unable to fully quantify his losses at this stage but estimates that they are likely to exceed tens of millions of Euros.

"This amount does not cover the serious moral and reputational losses suffered by Mr Massa."

The letter was addressed to Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali, previously Massa's team boss at Ferrari, and Paris-based FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

It warned that, without a satisfactory response to his potential claims, Massa intended to "pursue legal action in order to seek compensation for the harm he has suffered as well as recognition that, but for those unlawful acts, he would have been awarded the 2008 Championship."

It warned that in the absence of a substantive reply within 14 days, the lawyers