Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** In a pointed protest against the FIA’s new jewelry ban, Lewis Hamilton made a glittering statement at yesterday’s press conference, donning multiple watches, rings, bracelets, and a necklace. The seven-time world champion’s display underscores ongoing tensions between drivers and regulators over safety rules.
7 May 2022
Article by Simone Dal Passo Carabelli
In response to a new FIA regulation banning the use of jewelry by Formula 1 drivers during official races, multi-time world champion Lewis Hamilton used a press conference held yesterday to protest the ban, showing up wearing three watches, eight rings, seven bracelets, and a necklace.
To provide an overview, on Thursday, FIA officials issued a notice to competitors stating that “the use of jewelry in the form of piercings or metal neck chains is prohibited during the competition, and each driver may be checked before the start.”
Hamilton, perhaps the champion most affected by this ban, said he feels unfairly targeted by the new rule:
However, following the FIA’s warning, the driver agreed to remove his earrings but received a medical exemption for his nose piercing, which cannot be easily removed.
The logic behind the ban is that jewelry poses a safety hazard that can hinder medical intervention and emergency extraction in the event of a serious accident. Last week, the federation severely warned Formula E drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Mitch Evans for wearing necklaces in the cockpit, fining them €1,000 and deducting one point from their licenses.