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Lewis Hamilton jokes about the FIA targeting him for wearing jewelry while racing. Although the prohibition of jewelry while racing exists in all forms of motorsport, it hasn’t been a rule that has been strictly implemented.
On being asked about the jewelry he wore into the paddock, he joked in the FIA press conference saying:
“Definitely I couldn't get any more jewelry on today..It's platinum that I have, so it's not magnetic. It's never been a safety issue in the past. In 16 years, I've had so many MRI scans and not had to take out the platinum because it's not been an easy.”
The Briton walked into the paddock wearing three watches, four necklaces, two earrings and eight rings. While most were intrigued by the statement Lewis Hamilton tried to make to the FIA, it is evident that he is being singled out by the rules. The Mercedes champion revealed that some of the platinum jewelry could not be removed.
Upon being asked if he was stopped from racing with jewelry, Lewis Hamilton replied:
“If they stop me, then so be it. We've got a spare driver so we're all ready and prepped for the weekend. There's lots to do in the city anyway! It'll be good either way.”
Joking about the time in his three watches, the Briton said:
“It's three different time zones, just in case I get calls from lots of different places.”
If he were to be banned from racing with the baubles, the Briton would be happy to tour Miami with a spare driver taking his place. While the jewelry ban is clearly targeted at him, many drivers, including Sebastian Vettel, believe it should be a personal choice. It has been reported so far that the driver has been exempt from his nose piercing, however, he did remove some of his jewelry for Friday's practice session.
Lewis Hamilton believes the jewelry spat with FIA is unnecessary
The Mercedes driver believes the spat with the FIA on the jewelry ban is unnecessary. Suggesting that he is an “ally” to both the sport and the FIA, Lewis Hamilton revealed he would speak with Mohammed bin Sulayem about the jewelry. However, Hamilton believes there are more important issues for the sport to focus on than prohibitions such as these.
Hoping to speak with the FIA, the Mercedes champion said:
“This such a small thing.. It seems unnecessary for us to get into this spat. So I’ll try to communicate and work with Mohammed. I am here to be an ally of the sport, of Mohammed (FIA and Formula 1. As I said we have bigger fish to fry, bigger things to do, more impact to have. So thats really where the focus should be.”
The seven-time world champion has been the only driver to wear jewelry on the track and has done so for many years. However, the rule for the jewelry prohibition has been highlighted in the Race Director notes since the Saudi Arabian GP and has become quite the topic of discussion over the last three races.
