My jewellery will be staying despite F1 clampdown

In advance of last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, the FIA reminded drivers that the sport’s regulations outlaw the putting on of certain jewelry on security grounds.

The long-standing regulation, which varieties Report 5 of the third chapter of Appendix L from the governing body’s Worldwide Sporting Code, was highlighted in the party notes released for the Melbourne event by race director Niels Wittich.

The whole wording of the rule states: “The carrying of jewelry in the sort of human body piercing or metal neck chains is prohibited for the duration of the competitiveness and could thus be checked prior to the start off.”

With enforcement of the rule having not been in area for quite a few decades, the reminder has appear as element of a desire by F1 race director Wittich to guarantee safety criteria are as high as doable – primarily with lessons figured out from Romain Grosjean’s fiery crash at the 2020 Bahrain GP.

But though there are evident basic safety grounds that have prompted the choice, Hamilton believes that enforcement is a stage much too significantly.

Additionally, he states that it is bodily not possible for him to take away some of his ear-rings so he will be unable to comply with the FIA request.

“I you should not have any plans on removing [jewellery],” he reported. “I really feel there are personal matters. You must be ready to be who you are.

“There’s things that I can’t go. So I are unable to even choose these out. These kinds on my ideal ear, they are basically welded in. So I will have to get them chopped off or a little something like that. So they will be staying.”

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG

Photograph by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Illustrations or photos

The jewellery clampdown, on a weekend when the FIA has also created very clear it wishes to implement a prerequisite for motorists to use fireproof underwear, has not drawn universal support from drivers.

And although it is the initial noteworthy clash concerning the new race directors and the competition, the circumstance is not likely to escalate.

Mercedes manager Toto Wolff advised the Push Association this week that he was not confident it was clever for the FIA to select an early struggle over jewelry, but observed the even bigger picture.

Talking about the task Wittich experienced done, Wolff said: “How he has operate the very first couple of races has been respectful, stable and he has not set a single foot mistaken.

“But is that [jewellery ban] a battle he requires to have at this stage? On the other hand, if it turns out to be the biggest unlucky misstep of a race director, I would acquire it a thousand occasions about.”