“Sir Lewis Hamilton is F1”: Fans react as Mercedes driver fails to comply with FIA's technical directive on jewelry

Lewis Hamilton continues to defy FIA regulations around jewelry on the first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain. The Mercedes driver may have violated the FIA's jewelry rule again as he was seen sporting a new piece in Sakhir. The seven-time world champion wore a new nose stud with a silver bolt on each nostril.

Lewis Hamilton even wore it when he entered the Mercedes cockpit during testing and in the paddock. He sported a nose stud in 2022, which stirred controversy as the FIA cracked down on drivers who wore bling behind the wheel.

His latest piercing comes as tensions between F1 team owners and the FIA rise. Despite reservations from team principals like Toto Wolff, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem endorsed Cadillac's F1 participation.

F1 organizers have also been slighted by Sulayem's statements on the sport's potential cost. Meanwhile, Hamilton initially ignored the restrictions last year, but after meeting with the governing body, was granted an exception.

Due to the danger of penalties, the Mercedes driver was obliged to comply mid-season last year. He violated an FIA rule in Singapore by wearing a stud behind the wheel.

Earlier this week, all teams submitted their scrutineering declaration forms for all their drivers. All 19 forms were submitted except for Hamilton's.

Fans immediately took over social media with their reactions and responses.

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Formula 1 v Sir Lewis Hamilton

According to Appendix L of the FIA's International Sports Code, drivers are prohibited from wearing any material beneath their suits. They must wear fireproof underwear that meets the rigorous criteria.

It also states that "wearing of jewelry in the form of body piercing or metal chains is prohibited during the competition and may therefore be checked before the start."

The prohibition on wearing jewelry and non-compliant undergarments has long been in the regulations but was hardly ever enforced until the FIA stepped in last season.

The Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) head Alex Wurz believes Formula One is correct to prohibit jewelry in the cockpit, but the governing FIA might have implemented the regulation in a less hostile manner.

Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, and the FIA have been at odds since the 2021 Miami Grand Prix over piercings that the Mercedes driver has competed with for years and cannot remove, prompting the FIA to grant him a two-race grace period to remove the jewelry.

While Lewis Hamilton was warned to remove them by the Monaco Grand Prix last year, he has stated that he has no intention of doing so, causing many to question whether he will be permitted to participate in the historic event.