The FIA has once again insisted that under the International Sporting Code it is forbidden to wear jewelry while driving, and now the team checks were part of the inspection process of the apex body before the Miami Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton showed up to Friday’s FIA news conference with three watches, eight rings, bracelets and a necklace, saying it was “unnecessary” for stewards to focus on “something so small”.
“It’s almost like a step backwards,” Hamilton said. “If you think about the steps we’re taking as a sport, there are bigger issues and causes that we need to focus on.”
Hamilton’s opinion was supported by several drivers, including a Sebastian Vettel who considered that these drastic measures against the jewels were “targeting” the Mercedes driver.
Hamilton explained that she wore at least two pieces of jewelry that could not be removed, including a nose stud, but they were made of platinum and she had never had any problems before. And he even said that he has a piercing that he cannot reveal where he is wearing it.
Asked if he would decide not to race in the event of a clash with the FIA, Hamilton replied: “If they stop me, so be it. We have a backup driver, and still there is a lot that can be done in this city.” .
Motorsport.com has learned that Hamilton met with staff from the FIA medical commission after the press conference to discuss the matter.
During the talks, they explained to Hamilton that these measures had nothing to do with taking away free speech and were based solely on security concerns.
Hamilton agreed to remove as much jewelry as she could for this weekend’s race in Miami, and was granted a waiver until the Monaco GP later in the month for items she couldn’t easily remove.
As well as clamping down on jewellery, drivers have also been reminded to wear flame retardant underwear while on track, also for safety reasons. In fact Vettel protested by ironically putting on his boxer shorts over the Aston Martin suit before FP1 on Friday.
Romain Grosjean’s at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix is a clear example of an accident where snagging on jewelry or the wrong clothing could cause problems in the event of a fire or when pulling drivers out of the cockpit of their cars.
Before the first free practices of the Miami GP, technical delegate Jo Bauer issued an update confirming that Mercedes had already “submitted a fully complete self-scrutiny sheet for the 2022 Miami GP”.
The initial document said that Mercedes had not confirmed that Hamilton would be “compliant with the requirement not to wear jewelry, in the form of body piercings or metal neck chains or watches” while in the car.
