Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz believes that Sir Lewis Hamilton’s row with the FIA regarding jewellery could get more and more heated depending on what happens at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Race director Niels Wittich gave the drivers a further reminder before the Miami Grand Prix of the regulation prohibiting jewellery from being worn in the cockpit due to the risk of fire attached to it.
Sebastian Vettel said that Hamilton was being “targeted” by the FIA due to the jewellery he often wears in the car, and in defiance of the reiteration, the Briton wore an abundance of necklaces, bracelets, watches and rings to the press conference.
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Hamilton has been given an exemption until the Monaco Grand Prix to remove his permanent piercings, but he suggested that he has no intention of doing so, affirming that he will get an exemption for the rest of the year.
Kravitz detailed what Hamilton would have to do if he is to remove his nose piercing, and confirms that the dispute is still very much raging on.
“He’s taken his earrings out but he can’t take out his nose [stud] and we thought he was going to have minor surgery to take out the nose [stud],” he said on his Notebook show.
“Hamilton’s now saying, having been given two races’ grace, here (Miami) and in Barcelona, that he will not take out his nose [stud]. He doesn’t want to, doesn’t think it’s something the FIA should be doing, so it looks like the war between Hamilton and the FIA continues.
“Is he going to rack up fines when we get to Monaco and he hasn’t taken it out because the hole has closed up? It’s not as easy as him being able to just take it out like he can his earrings.”
The Briton revealed that there could be some significant ramifications if the seven-time champion has not removed his permanent fixtures by the time the circus rolls into Monaco.
“So there is a little storm brewing. Hamilton has said they can fine me whatever they want, but it’s not as simple as that,” he added.
“If the FIA decide to not scrutineer the driver, which it looks like they can do, they can stop Lewis from going out of the pit lane at the beginning of Friday practice because he has not been scrutineered – the driver is now effectively scrutineered in the same way as a car is.
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“So this could get very nasty quite quickly in a race-and-a-half’s time.”
Hamilton said on Friday that he wanted to be an “ally” to FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem, while Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said that a “dialogue” is needed between his driver and the governing body regarding the issue.