We are witnessing David vs. Goliath yet again as Lewis Hamilton has locked horns yet again with the FIA. This issue has been revived in the very first race of the season itself after it seemed to have settled down. The whole fiasco came up during the Miami GP weekend when the governing body’s crackdown on drivers wearing jewelry while in the car came into place, making good on a longstanding but rarely enforced rule.
This time, ahead of the checkups for the Bahrain GP, Formula 1 has released a notification that highlights the Mercedes driver as the sole violator of the regulation. The technical delegate has reported the issue to the stewards, inviting trouble for Lewis. But Lewis, being Lewis, couldn’t care less, as he would rather pay fines on this issue and others than comply with them.
The rule has taken precedence over many crucial issues, such as troubled racing locations such as Saudi Arabia, which the fans have highlighted repeatedly. LH army has accused the FIA of unnecessarily imposing the rule and targeting Lewis in particular. The main argument stands that the so-called “problem” has never troubled anyone on the grid, and yet the FIA remains adamant on enforcing it despite Lewis’s genuine reason.
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Fans backup Lewis Hamilton in the fight against the FIA
Earlier, during the first conflict over this issue with the FIA, Lewis justified his actions. While wearing plenty of jewelry and watches, he, as quoted by GQ, said, “In the car, I only ever have my earrings on and my nose ring, which I can’t even remove. It seems unnecessary for us to get into this spat,” highlighting his frustration with the FIA. Since then, he has united the grid against the FIA and its obsolete rules.
Lh has been driving for years with the nose piercing. im sure he'll be fine 💀 https://t.co/Xh7vh7WstO
— tris 💨 (@roscoes___mum) March 3, 2023
fia’s logic: lewis wearing jewelry>>> a missile exploded near the track https://t.co/jc3bMagSc9
— hatice (@ricciardosrace) March 3, 2023
i was wondering how much it’d take for the circus to start and the answer is: astonishingly little https://t.co/SsoxOflZT0
— julia RACE WEEK (@CALLUMN0VA) March 3, 2023
Because a tiny piece of jewelry is the most pressing safety issue 🙃
— Sweta (@carpediemm_18) March 3, 2023
The fans also brought up the argument that there were less severe punishments for Red Bull over the cost breach in 2021, while the governing body continues to make the issue bigger than it is and attempts to gain popularity by targeting the biggest star of the sport.
this they get their knickers in a twist over but penalising a team for a cost cap breach is meaningless to them. unserious organisation. https://t.co/uSeWEVyQRe
— i'm that girl 🪩 (@ricciardoroy) March 3, 2023
Honestly, at this point the FIA should really take a hint that Lewis is never going to remove his piercings, so all these investigations are just a giant waste of time. Just let him compete and move on https://t.co/C3nRYuAqyI
— Dhruv George (@JibberJabberDG) March 3, 2023
I swear they care more about the piercings than safety of the drivers on the track (tractor situation for example)
— ❀ kazimierka bish ❀ ¹⁶ ⁴⁴ (@KazimieraLuv) March 3, 2023
Yeah because body piercing is crucial 😑
— Noon⁰⁵⁴⁴ (@FormulaSewis) March 3, 2023
ffs every second im a bit more done with the fia https://t.co/L5LFzLKtWf
— mari🏎️ (@getawaycarcl16) March 3, 2023
ahh god just leave him and his jewellery alone https://t.co/ETdKmpCxfp
— SF16 (@char16clerc) March 3, 2023
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I don’t even really like Hamilton that much but Jesus just leave him and his jewellery alone 🤣 https://t.co/NOcsBuIHJ3
— JP (@Pritch_23) March 3, 2023
Lewis’s challenges seem to be never-ending. On one hand, he has taken up the fight with the FIA, while on the other, positive signs coming from the garage have been very few.
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How long do you think the standoff over such issues will continue between the driver and the authorities? Will there be any end to it?