Hamilton could miss home GP over nose stud
LEWIS HAMILTON is set for another collision course with Formula One’s governing body over the jewellery row which could threaten his participation at Sunday’s British Grand Prix.
A record 142,000 fans are expected at Silverstone for one of the highlights of Britain’s sporting summer – the majority of whom will be there to support seven-time world champion Hamilton.
But Hamilton, 37, is facing the prospect of being expelled from his home race – with the FIA’s deadline to remove his nose stud expiring today.
Hamilton was afforded a two-race medical exemption at the Miami Grand Prix on May 8 – to the seventh round of the campaign in Monaco on May 29 – to remove the item of jewellery which he says is not easy to take out. A second extension was then agreed.
But if Hamilton keeps his nose stud in place for first practice at Silverstone tomorrow, and further concessions are not granted by the FIA, Hamilton is likely to be summoned to the stewards.
While a number of options are available to the stewards – including a reprimand or fine
– the worst-case scenario for Hamilton is a suspension for breaking the rules. Such a breach would mean he is ineligible to take part in qualifying for his home race.
The ban on drivers wearing jewellery in the cockpit has been in place for a number of years, but FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem,
who succeeded Jean Todt last December, and race director Niels Wittich, a replacement for the sacked Michael Masi, have been keen to enforce the rule on safety grounds. And there is a growing feeling within the governing body that additional exemptions should not be granted.
Meanwhile, Nelson Piquet has apologised “wholeheartedly” after using an offensive expression when discussing Hamilton in an interview last year but insists the word he used has been mistranslated.
Former Formula One world champion Piquet, 69, was reported to have used a racial slur towards Hamilton following the 2021 British Grand Prix. He said in a statement: “What I said was ill thought out, and I make no defence for it, but I will clarify that the term used is one that has widely and historically been used colloquially in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for ‘guy’ or ‘person’ and was never intended to offend.
“I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations. I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word was used by me with the aim of belittling a driver because of his skin colour.
“I apologise wholeheartedly to anyone that was affected, including Lewis, who is an incredible driver, but the translation in some media that is now circulating on social media is not correct. Discrimination has no place in F1 or society and I am happy to clarify my thoughts in that respect.”