Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) has been summoned to the Singapore F1 Grand Prix stewards on suspicion of breaching Chapter 3 of Annex L to the FIA International Motor Sport Regulations, which dictates drivers’ equipment.
A four-member field jury, including Derek Warwick, called the team and Hamilton himself at 19:45 local time, 45 minutes after the end of FP3 on Saturday, October 1.
Chapter 3 states that the wearing of accessories (jewellery) is prohibited during the race, along with the specifications of helmets, flame resistant clothing, HANS, and seat belts that drivers should wear.
Hamilton has been at odds with the FIA this year over whether he should wear jewellery.
The stewards said Hamilton had been called because “videos showed him wearing body piercings[tyllu’r trwyn]during the session.”
During the hearing, the stewards said that Hamilton admitted that he was wearing it, but explained that “the doctors told me not to take it off for now”.
The stewards have reached out to the FIA’s Deputy Medical Representative, Dr Ian Roberts, for their opinion and have ruled not guilty.
Hamilton said he removed his nose piercing after the jewelery ban, which led to repeated bouts of festering, and he had to consult a doctor before wearing it again.
After meeting with the stewards, Hamilton set the third fastest time in qualifying, just 32/1000ths of a second off the front row.
After qualifying, a separate subpoena was issued to the Mercedes team, claiming that the statement submitted before the start of the Grand Prix was “false”.
From the middle of this season, the FIA has adopted a policy of having teams confirm through written statements whether drivers comply with rules regarding underwear and accessories.
Without confirming with Hamilton before the race, Mercedes declared that the driver had complied with the jewelery ban.
The stewards said the team manager was unaware that Hamilton was wearing earrings. He admitted that he made the statement based on speculation.
The stewards determined that the incident was not intentional. He awarded Mercedes a fine of €25,000.
