Formula One star Lewis Hamilton blasts piercings crackdown

MIAMI GARDENS (Fla.

Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula One champion, protested Friday’s FIA crackdown on body piercings by arriving at the Miami Grand Prix with every piece of jewelry he could find and suggesting he would be willing to miss races because of the issue.

Hamilton arrived at the paddock wearing an all denim outfit that featured several buttons on his shirt and four stacked necklaces. Hamilton later was spotted wearing at least three watches, and with four rings each on his hands. He also has earrings, a nose ring and some necklaces.

“I couldn’t get any more jewelry on today,” he said.

Thursday’s ban on body piercings and non-regulatory underwear was tightened by the FIA. The bulletin issued by Niels Wittich, new race director, included the rule as part of official scrutineering. Race officials can review such choices.

Sebastian Vettel is the four-time champion saidHe thought FIA was being petty, and wondered if Hamilton, a 37-year-old British Mercedes driver, was the target of the rule. Vettel also seemed to protest the underwear policing, and walked around the paddock in a pair he had on over his firesuit.

“I think it is a bit unnecessary to blow this topic up and probably at this stage is more of a personal thing, I feel a particular way targeted to Lewis,” Vettel said. “In a way, there’s a concern for safety, obviously if you have stuff and the car does catch fire. To some degrees, there is personal freedom and we are old enough to make our own choices.”

Hamilton said when he is in the car “I only have my earrings and my nose ring, which I can’t remove.”

Hamilton said he sent new FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem a message before arriving at the track noting the jewelry fight seemed silly and that “I don’t want to fight with you guys, ever.” But also sounded prepared to hold his ground.

“If they stop me, then so be it,” Hamilton said. “We’ve got spare drivers ready and prepped for weekends. There’s lots of things going on in the city, anyway, so I’ll be good either way.”

Shortly after, Hamilton was seen at Mercedes’ hospitality area with only one watch and one ring. Mercedes had provided the necessary document to FIA to declare Hamilton had removed all his jewelry before he set foot on the track for the first practice. He has been granted a temporary exemption for his piercings.

Formula One’s governing body saidSafety is the main concern. It’s the main issue. said drivers may be subjected to checks before competition because “the wearing of jewelry underneath the required flameproof clothing can reduce the protection afforded by this equipment.”

“Metallic objects, such as jewelry in contact with the skin can reduce heat transmission protection and thus may increase the risk of burn injuries in the event of a fire,” the FIA wrote. “The wearing of jewelry during the competition can hinder both medical interventions as well as subsequent diagnosis and treatment should it be required following an accident.”

The FIA saidJewelry can get caught in an emergency vehicle and cause delays or complications.

“In the worst case, the presence of jewelry during imaging may cause further injury,” the FIA wrote. “Jewelry in and/or around the airway can pose specific additional risks should it become dislodged during an accident and either ingested or inhaled.”

Hamilton has been resisting the FIA’s announcement of a possible clampdown since then. saidFriday, he would sign a waiver assuring all responsibility. He saidHe has worn his bling to F1 for 16 years without any problems, and has also had numerous medical imaging sessions wearing his jewelry.

“It’s platinum that I have, so it’s not magnetic. It’s never been a safety issue in the past,” Hamilton said. “In 16 years, I’ve had so many MRI scans and not had to take out the platinum because it’s not been an easy.”