The Latest Breaking News from Bernie Ecclestone

The 92-year-old pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday.

Billionaire failed to declare a trust in Singapore with a bank account containing around $650 million, court heard

Prompted by an interview with ex-F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone earlier this year, plus archive footage of late FIA race director Charlie Whiting, Massa believes F1 and the governing body were aware of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix ‘crashgate’ scandal in time to take action before the championship was decided.

The legal team advising Felipe Massa in his attempt to be declared 2008 Formula One world champion hope Lewis Hamilton will support the case in the name of sporting integrity.

The current deal that runs from 2021 and 2025 was negotiated by former F1 CEO Chase Carey in what was regarded as a new spirit of cooperation compared to the often confrontational debates of the earlier Bernie Ecclestone era.

Although the circumstances surrounding the Crashgate controversy at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix had been consigned to F1's history books by many, it has become a hot topic again.

Although the circumstances surrounding the Crashgate controversy at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix had been consigned to F1's history books by many, it has become a hot topic again.

Retired Brazilian driver claims he was wrongly denied championship while driving for Ferrari

In April Massa signalled his intention to take legal action against the results of the 2008 F1 world championship, which he lost out to McLaren's Lewis Hamilton by a single point.

The fact that the news came a few weeks after neighbouring Austria agreed on a deal to run its race until 2030 was perhaps not a coincidence, as both announcements reflect a growing trend for circuits to secure long-term futures.

In fact, this year marks the 45th anniversary of the first race in Montreal, famously also the maiden victory of local hero Gilles Villeneuve.