The deadline set by the FIA to resolve the row over drivers wearing jewellery in their Formula One cars is set for this weekend at the British GP. The regulations have been in place for over a decade but have never been highlighted before. However, Lewis Hamilton’s bling has attracted the attention of new FIA president who believes the rules now need to be enforced.
Hamilton claims his nose stud and another piercing in “an unmentionable place” cannot be removed without minor surgery – something he has refused to countenance. Yet this could see him excluded from the British GP in front of over 140,000 ‘home’ supporters.
The FIA originally intended to enforce the rule at the inaugural 2022 Miami GP but Lewis was given concessions and two race weekends to have his jewellery removed. He gained another concession in Monaco that allows his jewellery until Friday practice begins at the British GP.
Speaking atet eh Azerbaijan GP Lewis said, “Honestly, I feel like there’s just way too much time and energy being given to this.”
“The rule came in in 2005. I think we’ve all worn jewellery throughout our careers in Formula One. It’s not been a problem in the past and there’s no reason for it to necessarily be a problem now.
“It definitely is positive that we’re working with the FIA and I think they’re accommodating a little bit at the moment. But we shouldn’t have to keep on revisiting this thing every weekend. We’ve definitely got bigger fish to fry.”
So if Hamilton retains his stud on Friday the drivers and their cars submit to the FIA officials for scutineering. If Hamilton is deemed to be in breach of there regulations, the stewards should refuse to allow him to compete under ‘safety grounds’.
That said, the penalty could be merely a fine and a reprimand. Yet even a reprimand each race he breaches the rules would eventually result in a one race ban.
The new FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem who succeeded Jean Todt last December has indicated he is keen to enforce the jewellery ban and sources report there is a growing feeling that Hamilton should not be granted any further exemptions.
Lewis Hamilton is due to appear at the F1 drivers’ press conference this afternoon and the issue is surely one that will be raised there.
So where LH was furious about the rules not being enforced correctly in Abu Dhabi 2021, he now wants the rules to be ignored for him… typical…
Or where they ignored the rules in Abu Dhabi they now want to enforce them, typical.
See how that works the other way around.
Well said and interesting point. But your analogy is not quite right. In AD there was no rule ‘ignored’. It was an interpretation of a multi interpretable text, coloured by the strongly expressed desire of all teams to not finish a race under a yellow flag. LH insisted that his interpretation was the rule. That’s differs from the clear rule, based on safety, F1 started enforcing.
It’s a bit of bling …
FIA should grow up .
We are here to race concentrate on that not bling.
Remember Todd cheated in rally days !!
Where have they been untill now to enforce it if they enforced the rule when it was made not years later that how corupped F1 is
How long until Hamilton states that the jewelry ban is based in racism…. Oh snap. That was a while ago.
I think that the FIA should just forget about things like nose studs and let people race, I may not be a fan of Hamilton’s but I don’t see why these studs should be a problem so just let them race.
For years, this jewelry ban went unenforced (and unnoticed) under Jean Todt. Yet, when this idiotic Muslim gained control of F1, all-of-a-sudden it was highly pertinent and is to be completely enforced. Hamilton aside, does anybody else see the odd disparity in this new & total enforcement of an old (and ridiculously stupid) rule?
Apart from your apparent dislike of Muslims, the rule is not stupid. It’s based on safetyconcerns. When a driver gets injured (what does happen in motorsports), a scan is needed to see what’s wrong. Jewelry can not go into a scanner. And the time doctors loose withl searching for and removing jewelry, can be critical. Hence no jewelry.
The only thing stupid is why it was not enforced. They do enforce it in F3 and F2… but not in F1 🤨