Lewis Hamilton has been given a ‘grace period’ to remove his nose ring by the FIA after deliberately taking out his earrings ahead of Friday’s practice sessions at the Miami Grand Prix, according to Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz. Hamilton, who regularly wears jewelery while racing, appears to have taken exception to the FIA’s clampdown on drivers wearing watches, necklaces, earrings and other accessories when behind the wheel.
Hamilton is not the only driver on the F1 grid to often wear jewelery but is certainly the most high-profile and it has been suggested by many onlookers that he is being specifically targeted by the FIA’s decision to take a firm stance on the matter this season . Kravitz explained after FP1 on Friday that Hamilton was ultimately forced to remove his earrings but could struggle to get rid of his nose ring because the hole has closed up, with the 37-year-old having been given an unspecified ‘grace period’ to meet the FIA’s demands.
“They [Mercedes] hadn’t completed a form certifying that Lewis Hamilton was in compliance with the rules saying you’re not allowed piercings or nose rings,” said Kravitz.
“Mercedes did [eventually] file a scrutineering form to say that he has removed them [his earrings]but we understand that Lewis was unable to remove his nose piercing because the hole has closed up significantly that he actually can’t do it and it has to be removed.
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“We now understand that Lewis has a grace period to get the nose ring out. The earrings, he was forced effectively by the FIA to take them out, but the nose piercing stays until when?”
It remains to be seen whether Hamilton will ultimately be able to remove his nose piercing at the request of the FIA before the inaugural Miami Grand Prix gets underway on Sunday evening. The seven-time Drivers’ Championship winner seemingly made a point earlier on Friday by wearing three watches, eight rings and four necklaces to this afternoon’s press conference before explaining the reasons behind his stance against the jewelery ban in detail.
“I couldn’t get any more jewelery on today,” the Mercedes man told reporters. “I feel almost like it’s a step backwards, if you think of the steps we are taking as a sport and the more important issues and causes we need to be focused on.
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“I think we’ve made such great strides as a sport. This is such a small thing. I’ve been in the sport for 16 years, I’ve been wearing jewelery for 16 years.
“In the car I only have my earrings on and my nose ring, which I can’t even remove. It seems unnecessary for us to get into this spat.”
Hamilton went on to insist that he would be happy to speak with FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem in order to find a solution that suits all parties and steer clear of any unwanted consequences over the course of this weekend.
“I’ll try to communicate and work with Mohammed,” he added. “I’m here to be an ally of the sport, of Mohammed and of Formula One, and I think we’ve got bigger fish to fry, bigger things to do, more impact to have, so I think that’s really where the focus should be.”
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