SILVERSTONE, England (Reuters) – Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton backed down in a spat with Formula One’s governing body and removed a nose stud before taking part in practice for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Friday.
An FIA spokesman confirmed the Mercedes driver was compliant with the rules and the stud had gone.
Hamilton also has ear piercings, and another elsewhere on his body, and has maintained he cannot remove some without assistance.
The 37-year-old was engaged in a standoff with the FIA in May, after drivers were reminded that wearing jewellery in the cockpit was not allowed for safety reasons, but was given an exemption until Silverstone.
“It’s kind of crazy to think that with everything that’s going on in the world that is the focus of people,” the sport’s most successful driver of all time had told reporters on Thursday.
His nose and ear piercings were in place then.
The ban on jewellery, as well as the wearing of non-compliant under-garments, has long been in the rules but rarely enforced until the FIA clamped down this season.
It says items beneath the mandatory flameproof clothing could increase the risk of burn injuries and has highlighted the risk of critical delays or complications if medical imaging is required following an accident.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
