Lewis Hamilton reveals he will continue to fight the jewellery ban imposed on Formula One drivers

ByRob Hemingway

Updated 08/05/2022 at 10:18 GMT

Lewis Hamilton says his aim is to continue getting exemptions to wear his jewellery during Formula One races, as his simmering 'bling row' with the sport's authorities threatens to boil over. Sebastian Vettel backed Hamilton, believing the move was "specifically targeted" at the seven-time champion. Ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher however called the duo's safety protests "childish".

Lewis Hamilton has doubled down over his stance towards jewellery-wearing during Formula One races, declaring that he has no plans to remove his piercings for the season's upcoming races.

The topic has reared its head over recent days as the F1 show arrived in Florida for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix.

And Hamilton - who suggested a reserve driver could replace him if his wishes weren't heeded - confirmed on the eve of the race that he had an exemption for this weekend, and would seek to do the same in future.

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“No”, the 37-year-old replied when questioned if he planned to remove his nose piercing.

“I got an exemption here, I will get an exemption for the rest of them.”

Mercedes' Hamilton - who will start Sunday's race from sixth on the grid - is not the only one to have expressed dismay at the recent tightening of the sport's safety regulations, with fellow elder statesman Sebastian Vettel wearing a pair of pants over his race suit in protest at discussions over drivers not being able to wear flammable underwear.

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The German said: “I think it’s a bit unnecessary to blow this topic up. Probably at this stage, it [the tightening of jewellery regulations] is more of a personal thing and I feel it’s particularly targeted to Lewis [Hamilton].

I mean we spoke about underpants as well - really is that the most exciting thing we can talk about?

"If the car does catch fire it would be unpleasant but on the other hand, to some degree, it’s personal freedom and we’re old enough to make our choices outside the car, we should be old enough to make choices also inside the car."

'It's almost like a step backwards' - Hamilton on jewellery row with F1

Ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher took a different viewpoint however, believing the pair's protests don't set the right tone for those lower down the racing pyramid.

Schumacher told Sky Germany: "They should be committed to safety. Especially after Romain Grosjean's accident [in Bahrain in 2020], the drivers should know better.

"The FIA is absolutely right - the young guys in Formula 4 and 3 should see that the F1 drivers stick to the rules.

"When the most experienced people like Vettel and Hamilton mock the FIA, I think it's childish."

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