F1 drivers reminded about jewellery ban ahead of Australian GP
The ruling was included in the Melbourne event notes that was issued by new FIA race director, Niels Wittich, who is alternating the position with Eduardo Freitas during the 2022 F1 season following Michael Masi’s sacking.
Appendix L, Chapter III, of Article 5 of the governing body’s International Sporting Code states: “The wearing of jewellery in the form of body piercing or metal neck chains is prohibited during the competition and may therefore be checked before the start.”
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Rather than it being a fresh clampdown, F1 drivers have simply been reminded by the FIA about the ISC’s jewellery ruling, which has been in place since 2005.
The ban was introduced as a safety precaution in order to reduce the risk drivers face when they need to escape from a car following a crash.
It is understood that the reminder has come after several drivers have been spotted wearing rings and bracelets when in their cars.
The ruling will not affect the drivers when they are in and around the paddock and any breach is likely to be met with a fine, rather than any kind of sporting penalty.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton regularly wears jewellery - including rings, earrings and neck chains - in the paddock over the course of a race weekend as part of his striking fashion statements.
Hamilton turned heads when he arrived in the Melbourne paddock on Thursday wearing a bold green outfit from luxury London knitwear brand AGR.
Shov out here checking the drip. pic.twitter.com/mUDvRHayL7
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) April 7, 2022
Will Mercedes and Hamilton’s fortunes improve?
Hamilton heads into F1’s first race in Melbourne since 2019 already 29 points adrift of early championship leader Charles Leclerc after a difficult opening two rounds of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
After claiming a podium finish in third in the season-opener, Hamilton could only recover to 10th in Jeddah after suffering his worst qualifying performance in terms of pure pace since 2009.
Mercedes’ season has been hampered by the porpoising phenomenon that has prevented the team from maximising the true performance of its 2022 F1 car, the W13.
It was rumoured that Mercedes would be bringing an upgraded rear wing to this weekend’s race, but it appears the updates have been pushed back until upcoming events in Imola or Miami.
Speaking ahead of the Australian GP, team principal Toto Wolff conceded Mercedes would have to make the most of its current package until a solution to the team’s problems can be found.
"At the moment, our track performance is not meeting our own expectations, but everyone at Brackley and Brixworth is focused on understanding the problems and finding the right solutions,” Wolff said.
"There won't be a magic fix for the next race weekend, but we're pushing to steadily bring gains over the upcoming races, to hopefully move us closer to the front of the pack.
"Until then, we need to maximise each opportunity and make the most of the package we have."
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Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for Crash.net around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
