Lewis Hamilton has registered one success before Sunday’s Grand Prix in Bahrain, he WILL be able to wear his nose stud during the race.
The seven-time world champion spent most of last season in a stand-off with the sport's governing body, the FIA, over their insistence that strict rules forbidding Formula One drivers to wear jewellery were enforced. For many of the 2022 races, 38-year-old Hamilton was forced to remove ALL his jewellery before taking his place on the starting grid.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA president, was seen as the driving force behind the push to implement the long-standing, but often unused, rules.
But Ben Sulayem has stepped away from day-to-day duties and Hamilton can wear his nose stud on Sunday. And Hamilton could even wear TWO nose studs after it emerged he has recently had another piercing.
Not for the first time, Hamilton was at odds with the FIA for most of last season after being threatened with punishment if he continued to wear his jewellery.
Hamilton backed down at Silverstone last July and had his nose stud removed but it reappeared later in the season when the British driver produced a medical note to say he had suffered an infection.
With Ben Sulayem sidelined, the FIA seem to be more understanding of Hamilton’s situation but they say the two things are unconnected, explaining that the Mercedes driver has been given a medical exemption.
Stewards in Bahrain released a statement, saying: “There are concerns about disfigurement with frequent attempts at removal of the device."Hamilton complained that the stud was hard to remove and put back and had been in place for a long time.
The FIA said it did not represent a climbdown, saying their decision was “a continuation of the scenario last year" and that it was “standard procedure to issue a decision based on the scrutineering submission we received.”
And the spokesman insisted the overall jewellery ban was still in place, adding: “The rule exists for safety reasons and applies to all competitors in all FIA competitions. Formula 1 drivers are the most visible competitors in world motor sport, and it is their responsibility to set the example for other drivers at every age, level and discipline."
Hamilton’s exemption is expected to extend for the entire season, leaving him free to wear his two studs in every race.
