As part of the FIA’s crackdown on drivers wearing jewelery in the car, which is prohibited by the International Sports Code, team inspections were part of the pre-Miami Grand Prix inspection process.
Hamilton appeared at the FIA press conference on Friday, wearing three watches, eight rings, bracelets and a necklace, and said it was “unnecessary” for officials to focus on “so little.”
“It’s almost like a step back,” Hamilton said.
“If you think about the steps we take as a sport and the more important issues and causes we need to focus on.”
Hamilton’s opinion was supported by a number of pilots, including Sebastian Vettel, who believed that the moves pushing the jewelry were “aimed” at Hamilton.
Hamilton explained that he wore at least two pieces of jewelry that could not be removed, including a nose piercing, but they were made of platinum and had never had any previous problems.
Asked if he would retire and not compete against the FIA, Hamilton said: “If they stop me, so be it. We have a backup driver. ”
Autosport has learned that Hamilton met with representatives of the FIA medical commission after the press conference to discuss the issue.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG
Photo: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
During the talks, it was understood that Hamilton had been told that the push had nothing to do with the removal of personal expression and was based solely on safety considerations.
Hamilton agreed to remove all the jewelry he could for the race this weekend in Miami, and was given a release to Monaco for items he could not easily remove.
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In addition to limiting themselves to jewelry, drivers are also reminded to wear proper underwear while in the car, again for safety reasons.
The accident of Romain Grosjean at the Bahrain 2020 Grand Prix is regularly cited as an example of an accident in which either jewelery or improper clothing can cause problems in the event of a fire or the evacuation of drivers from the cockpit of their cars.
Prior to the opening of the practice in Miami, Technical Delegate Joe Bauer issued an inspection update confirming that Mercedes had already “submitted a fully completed self-test sheet for the Miami GP in 2022.”
The original inspection document said Mercedes had not confirmed that Hamilton “complied with the requirement not to wear any jewelry in the form of body piercings or metal neck chains or watches” while in the car.
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