"It is a rule for the right reasons" - GPDA chairman is in favor of FIA in jewelry fiasco with Lewis Hamilton

As Lewis Hamilton continues to object to the FIA's crackdown on jewelry, Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) chairman Alex Wurz has chosen not to side with the seven-time world champion on the subject.

The Briton and the FIA have been at an impasse since race director Niels Wittich confirmed that F1 drivers will not be permitted to wear jewelry while on track at the Miami International Autodrome.

Hamilton was in a defiant mood during the inaugural Miami GP, but he ultimately took off all his chains, rings, and ear studs ahead of the race.

The 37-year-old was also given a two-race exemption for a nose piercing and is expected to comply with the rules when they arrive at the Principality for the 2022 F1 Monaco GP.

While Lewis Hamilton has openly said he does not wish to abide by it, Wurz feels the rule is in place and is being enforced for the 'right reasons'. In an interview with Reuters, the GPDA chairman said:

“It is a rule for the right reasons. I would have probably liked a slightly different approach of how to deliver the message. I don’t want to end up in football where there are more hands in the air and verbal abuse... You have to work together. It’s a style I would have preferred in this case.”

Wurz is also an advocate for flame retardant underwear, another hot topic for the FIA after it was confirmed that drivers will be checked for safety reasons. According to the FIA, the crackdown on jewelry and underwear is being done to ensure the safety of drivers.

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"I would like Lewis to be a role model" - FIA President on jewelry standoff with Lewis Hamilton

FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem wants Lewis Hamilton to be an ambassador and role model for all young drivers by complying with the jewelry crackdown being enforced in F1.

Rules prohibiting jewelry while driving an F1 car have been in place since 2005 but were not strictly enforced until recently.

Ben Sulayem, who took over the role of FIA president from Jean Todt at the end of 2021, spoke about the matter in an interview with the Daily Mail where he said:

“Lewis [Hamilton] saw a doctor in Miami to discuss the jewellery issue - and, guess what, he was a British doctor. I am simply saying the rules are there. It’s not for me to decide the merits of the science - it’s for the medics. I would like Lewis to be a role model, an ambassador, to send the right message to all the young drivers to prevent a tragedy. We should be using him in that good cause.”

The 60-year-old Emirati went on to add, saying:

“I love jewellery. I absolutely love it. But in the car there can be no choice. People say they (the rules) haven’t been implemented before. Don’t ask me why not. People can ask the old regime why that is the case.”

It remains to be seen what Lewis Hamilton will do once his current jewelry exemption expires after the 2022 F1 Spanish GP later this weekend.