Under new F1 race director Niels Wittich, a number of elements of the FIA’s International Sporting Code have been enforced more strictly in the early part of the 2022 season, including the articles surrounding the wearing of jewellery in the car.
After an initial reminder was issued in Australia regarding the wearing of piercings or chains in the car, a further clampdown followed in Miami when checks to ensure compliance were made part of the pre-race scrutineering declaration.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton called the move “unnecessary” and “a step backwards”, and said he had no plans to remove all of his piercings. His nose piercing is not easily removable, resulting in a two-race exemption being granted to the seven-time world champion.
The exemption covered Miami and Spain, but this has now been extended until the end of June, covering the next three races in Monaco, Azerbaijan and Canada.
The move is intended to allow for dialogue to continue between the drivers and the FIA’s medical staff, who are trying to find a way for the article within Appendix L of the ISC that concerns the wearing of jewellery to be enforced in a safe but sensible way.
Discussions took place after the drivers’ briefing in Spain relating to the matter, with the FIA’s concerns chiefly surrounding the safety issues that wearing jewellery in the car may pose.
Romain Grosjean’s accident at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix is cited as an accident where any snagging from jewellery in the car could cause problems when extricating drivers from the cockpit of the car.
Uncertainty remains from some drivers about what is and is not allowed to be worn while in the car, including wedding rings.
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen said on Thursday in Monaco he would seek clarification from the FIA about whether or not he is allowed to wear his wedding ring while driving.
“I'll take a little bit of extra burn on my finger to race in my wedding ring,” Magnussen said. “And if something was going to happen, something bad, I would want to wear my wedding ring. It kind of feels bad to take it off.
"With something like that, like your wedding ring, let us take that responsibility. There must be somehow to remove liability.”
Magnussen said in Monaco that he would be delighted to wear his wedding ring, but would double check with the FIA first because he did not want to risk a sanction.
“I like wearing my wedding ring, so if it’s allowed that I can wear it, then I will wear it,” he explained. “But I’ll go and double check before that it’s correct.”
Magnussen said since Miami he had removed the ring prior to getting in the car as he thought the ban was quite wide-ranging.
“I took it off once they said there was a €50,000 fine,” he said. “That’s it – I put it right in my drawer! Not gonna take the risk.”
