Lewis Hamilton granted medical exemption from jewellery ban amidst ‘concerns about disfigurement’

Lewis Hamilton has been granted a medical exemption from the FIA’s jewellery ban, the stewards noting “concerns about disfigurement with frequent attempts at removal” of a piercing.

As of last season all the teams have to submit self-scrutineering sheets to the FIA in which they have to clarify whether their drivers are adhering to the jewellery ban.

While Hamilton initially vowed to buck the rule, the Briton appearing in a press conference with multiple watches and decked out in jewellery, he did eventually remove his piercings only for the nose one to return after an infection.

Fast forward to the start of the 2023 season and it momentarily seemed as if the driver was once again at loggerheads with the FIA over the ban after Mercedes failed to disclose if all his piercings had been removed ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.

“The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team has not confirmed for his driver Lewis Hamilton (44) in the submitted self-scrutineering sheets that he is complying with the requirement to not wear any jewellery in the form of body piercing or metal neck chains or watches,” read the FIA scrutineering document.

That, though, was quickly resolved.

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Mercedes and the team doctor went to the FIA asking for an exemption for Hamilton, the driver worried about “disfigurement” if he continued to remove his piercings before getting in the car only to put them back in later that same day.

That was granted after FIA medical delegate Dr. Ian Roberts, examined the driver.

“The Stewards having heard from a team representative and receiving a medical report from the team doctor of Mercedes AMG-PETRONAS F1 Team, which requested an exemption,” read the updated report.

“The Stewards consulted the FIA Medical Delegate, who viewed the medical report, examined the driver and concurred with the opinion therein.

“We have determined to take no further action as there are concerns about disfigurement with frequent attempts at removal of the device.”

Hamilton has previously made it clear what he thinks about the ban on jewellery.

“[The ban] came in in 2005 and I think we have all worn jewellery our whole careers in Formula One and it’s not been a problem in the past and there is no reason for it to be now,” he said last season.

“We shouldn’t have to keep revisiting it each weekend. We’ve definitely go bigger fish to fry.”