“They’ll Be Staying” – Lewis Hamilton Takes On the FIA Over Controversial Jewelry Ban in F1

FIA reinforced the ban on jewelry ahead of the Australian GP last week. However, the rule didn’t go well with all the drivers, especially Lewis Hamilton, who even defied them on the race day in Melbourne.

The new race director, Niels Wittich, had a long driver’s briefing on Friday at the Albert Park Circuit. Wittich informed the drivers about the ban on jewelry during races. Further, the F1 drivers would go through an inspection to check whether they are following the rule or not.

But, the 37-year-old Silver Arrow driver didn’t like the jewelry ban. So, to defy FIA, Hamilton wore both his earrings and the nose stud. Later, when he was questioned about the piercings, Hamilton rejected the idea of removing them during the race. And he also stated they are non-removable.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton Brings Back Memories With Angela Cullen With a Hilarious Twist

“I feel they are personal things. You should be able to be who you are. There’s stuff that I can’t move.” Lewis Hamilton said, “I literally can’t take these out [pointing to piercings on his right ear]. They’re literally welded on so I’d have to get them chopped off or something. So they’ll be staying.”

Lewis Hamilton won’t leave any stone unturned

The seven-time world champion is having a rough season. Although he finished third in Bahrain, it was all thanks to the Red Bull duo retiring from the season-opener. In round 2 at the Saudi Arabian GP, the best Hamilton could only finish P10.

Ever since the pre-season testing in Barcelona and Bahrain, Mercedes’ 2022 challenger is suffering from significant porpoising on the straights. This issue is costing the Silver Arrows to lose a lot of speed. The performance in Australia GP was better than in the first two races this season. But it was still not enough to fight in the front with Red Bull and Ferrari.

After finishing fourth in Melbourne, Hamilton was still not satisfied with the German constructors. Hamilton conveyed. “I will be on Zoom calls with our bosses, really trying to rally them up. It is about making sure we leave no stone unturned, that the hunger is there and we are maximising every moment. I will be chasing the people in the wind tunnel, the aerodynamic guys, and just looking at every single area.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Lewis Hamilton Risks Angering Neighbours Again At His 23 Million Mansion

The next race is in Imola, and the Grand Prix will have the Sprint race format, the first of the 2022 season. It would be fascinating to see if Mercedes introduces any new upgrades, allowing Hamilton to impress his fans just like he did at the last sprint race GP that was in Brazil.