The seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was allowed to drive with nose piercings on the sidelines of the season-opening GP in Bahrain on Friday despite the current ban on the race weekends.
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In their decision, sent to the press, the FIA officials say they “have heard a representative (from Mercedes, ed.) and received a medical report from the team doctor who requested a waiver.” After consultation with “the FIA medical delegate”, he “approved the opinion expressed in this report”.
“We have decided not to take any further action as the frequent attempts to remove the device (the piercing, ed.) raise concerns about disfigurement.”
For medical reasons, the Briton, who showed up in the paddock on Friday with a second nose piercing, is allowed to drive with it.
Hamilton, 38, explained on the sidelines of the Singapore GP last September that he was wearing his jewel on the advice of doctors after suffering an infection when it was removed. However, if his driver could have walked, Mercedes was fined €25,000 for failing to inform the stewards.
The ban on wearing jewelry on board single-seaters was introduced in 2005 as a safety measure, but has never really been used by pilots.
In 2022, however, new FIA race director Niels Wittich decided to tighten the screw to have it applied.
On Friday, an FIA spokesman reminded that “this rule exists for safety reasons and applies to all participants in all FIA competitions”, i.e. in Formula 1, but also in WRC rallies or in endurance racing (WEC).
“Formula 1 drivers are the most visible competitors in global motorsport and it is their responsibility to set an example for other drivers, regardless of age, level and discipline,” he also said.