Hamilton says jewellery dispute with FIA is no threat to him racing

2022 British Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton says his dispute with the FIA over restrictions on drivers wearing jewellery won’t prevent him from competing in this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

The seven-times world champion clashed with the sport’s governing body earlier this year when it introduced a clamp down on drivers wearing jewellery in their cars. Hamilton previously said he has been given an exemption to continue wearing some items of jewellery which are fixed in place and expects that to continue for the rest of the season.

“I will be racing this weekend,” he said in yesterday’s FIA press conference at Silverstone. “I will be working with the FIA.”

Hamilton has spoken with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem about the jewellery restrictions, and repeatedly said the sport’s governing body should focus on other priorities.

“I would say the matter is not particularly massively important,” Hamilton said. “So I will work with Mohammed and with his team so that we can progress forwards.”

“We’ve really got to start focusing on other more important areas,” Hamilton added.

Sebastian Vettel, Williams-Renault FW14B, Silverstone, 2022
Gallery: 2022 British Grand Prix build-up in pictures
He has won seven of the last eighth British grands prix, including the most recent three in a row. However Hamilton is yet to win a race this year in Mercedes’ uncompetitive W13.

The team has brought new parts for Hamilton’s home race which he hopes will help them close the gap to Red Bull and Ferrari.

“It is always nice having upgrades,” he said. “The amount of incredible work that goes on in the background is quite overwhelming. It’s phenomenal to see just everyone with their heads down staying focused and delivering.

“It’s always a big push to bring these components to a race, particularly under the circumstances we’re all faced with this year, in terms of the cost cap, for example.

“So I’m very proud of everyone, very grateful for everyone’s incredible hard work and I hope that it reflects when we put it on the track. Earlier on in the year, for example, we did put an upgrade on and weren’t able to extract it all. So I hope that that’s different this time.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...
Claire Cottingham
Claire has worked in motorsport for much of her career, covering a broad mix of championships including Formula One, Formula E, the BTCC, British...

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32 comments on “Hamilton says jewellery dispute with FIA is no threat to him racing”

  1. Hamilton’s air of entitlement here is just awesome.

    “Rules? I think they are unimportant, so they are not for me.”

    1. but FIA could change the rules to the last race last year they are all out to get hammerman

      1. They’ve conceded that the rules were not followed properly then, and have such taken a stronger stance on rules compliance this season.

        ‘Hammerman’ also has a problem with thinking people are out to get him, and has done for a long time.

  2. Barry Bens (@barryfromdownunder)
    1st July 2022, 7:48

    It’ll be so awesome when this guys leaves F1. His quotes from earlier this week mean that he himself shouldn’t talk about F1 ever again when he quits, so we won’t have any of the rubish anymore.

    I.Cant.Wait

  3. The rules should be a threat to him racing. They’re the rules. Apply them, even to this goat.

    I want another team to protest him in practice and get it sorted before it impacts a race result.

    1. The trouble is that it’s got to the point where protesting against Hamilton is bad PR, so the teams are reluctant to go there.
      I’d rather that all the other teams protest the race result, as that will force action.

    2. Given how the FIA suddenly putting the spotlight on these rules after more than a decade of mostly ignoring the was most likely a move to impress on the teams and drivers that the FIA is in charge of the rules with the new president, choosing a largely ineffective, but very public way of doing so @juan-fanger, I would propose that just stopping to talk too much about it publicly and “sort things out with their team” in the background is a very effective way of dealing with it.

      The FIA probably doesn’t care a bit about who wears what, and might have already forgotten about the issue if the media weren’t reminding them of it.

      1. I would propose that just stopping to talk too much about it publicly and “sort things out with their team” in the background is a very effective way of dealing with it.

        Is that how we solve problems, is it?
        Perhaps they could apply that theory to all the other stuff Hamilton is dragging into F1…

        Thankfully, it seems we agree that problems are solved by action, not by talk.

  4. Rule is rule

    except for …

  5. I like how in Hamilton’s universe, you can’t just “focus” on multiple things at once and by enforcing this rule, that then somehow means other “more important” rules are left by the wayside until this one is abandoned.

    I think enough leeway has been given now, the rules should start being enforced as soon as this weekend.

  6. So are you going to tell that to Magnussen and Gasly too?

    1. Can I? Please.

  7. I get the impression this rule is mostly forced to enrage those who hate Hamilton. The rule itself is fundamentally flawed as it’s contradicted by other allowances such as wedding rings (Magnussen is known to wear his while racing) and ‘religious jewelry’ (Gasly wears a necklace while racing). None of the drivers are stupid enough to wear anything that is at risk of becoming fully loose but this rule needs reviewing and updating.

    1. It’s not really fundamentally flawed as it’s hardly the only instance of religious exceptions made in society. Exceptions based on deeply emotional attachments are perhaps illogical on a rational level, they’re not illogical on a functional real world level. So yes, some people think their marriage in general or SO’s are magically or karmically doomed if they ever take off their wedding ring, so forcing them to do so would cause them a level of emotional harm (no matter what your personal feelings on such things may be) that isn’t preferable over the obvious benefit of not wearing while engulfed in flames.

      That situation is however completely different from jewellery worn for aesthetic purposes, those you can take off without causing emotional distress, so the same rule hits different.

      1. Which underlines why the rule is flawed, it should be that it applies to all jewelry otherwise what’s the point of it? A couple Formula E drivers were fined for wearing necklaces yet Gasly is allowed to wear his, which I’m sure you’d agree is unfair. Not to mention such a rule is about potential loose items and a nose stud is not loose, so is not dangerous.
        The “rules are rules” argument doesn’t really hold up if the rule is flawed or out of date as this is, otherwise people in Chester may as well continue shooting Welshmen found within their walls after dark.

    2. I get the impression this rule is mostly forced to enrage those who hate Hamilton.

      Please tell me you don’t seriously believe that.

      1. Going off some of the comments on articles like this and their laser focus on a singular individual and the expense of other examples it’s an easy impression to make.

  8. Just check him, and if he is found to be not complying with the International Sporting Code, he shouldn’t be entering the circuit in competition.

  9. Jelle van der Meer (@)
    1st July 2022, 10:22

    Just follow the rules Lewis, stop thinking that you are better or above the rules.
    You preach a whole lot about other people’s behavior but your own is certainly questionable at times.

    1. Just follow the rules Lewis, stop thinking that you are better or above the rules.

      F1 has given Hamilton a great deal of power and influence in recent years especially to alter the F1 environment and it’s approach to various things. It’s only natural that he has learnt just how influential he is and is trying to take advantage of that for his own personal gain.

      1. “His own personal gain” is just laughable.

  10. As Martin Brundle has said many times. The drivers take a huge risk every time they step into an F1 car. A piece of jewellery is inconsequential when considering the life-death decision to race.

    1. If that is a topic so near and dear to Mr Brundle’s heart, why hasn’t he taken the necessary steps to get the rule changed?

    2. On the contrary – it could be the difference between life and death.

      The competitors have been asking for the FIA to save them from themselves by taking control of the porpoising issue, among other safety factors – this is just another safety factor which they may well thank the FIA for one day. Hopefully they’ll never need to.
      Look how useful the halo has been since its introduction – Hamilton opposed that too.

      1. Sush Meerkat
        1st July 2022, 13:24

        So did Grossjean, and look how that turned out

  11. Chris Horton
    1st July 2022, 11:13

    Entitlement.

    He needs to stop turning up to circuits in his pyjamas too, It’s bringing the sport into disrepute.

  12. I love how angry Hamilton makes people. Lives rent free in their minds. I bet you guys are stewing about this.

    1. It’s not about Hamilton – it’s about rules enforcement. Those rules are for everyone. Hamilton included.

  13. Wow, the stupidity of the anti-fans here is overwhelming. Best are the ones who address a driver directly… so smart

  14. Hamilton removes the jewelry that’s removable and was granted an exemption for those that can’t be removed. The fact that he has an exemption shows that he is working within the rules, so all of the comments about him not following the rules etc, is nothing but Hamilton haters spewing their regular rubbish.

    1. His exemption shows that he isn’t ‘working within the rules’ and has instead been exempted from them.

  15. Kind of baffled why you’re misogynistic and implicitly homophobic comment is still here.

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