Lewis Hamilton’s reaction to FIA jewellery-gate: “People love to have power…”

The F1 season began with new race director Niels Wittich clamping down on a pre-existing rule which prohibited the drivers from wearing jewellery on safety grounds.

Hamilton initially offered resistance, saying: “I've had jewellery on for 16 years - so was was safety not an issue back then?”

He arrived in Miami decorated in extra bling, including three watches, but eventually complied by removing his nose-stud at Silverstone.

“People love to have power,” he said to Vanity Fair about the jewellery saga. 

“And to enforce power.”

Asked if he felt personally targeted by the clampdown on this rule, Hamilton said: “I mean, yeah.

“Because I’m the only one that has jewellery on, really.”

He explained wearing three luxury watches in Miami: “I just put on as much as I could.”

Hamilton had previously teased about his body piercings: “I can’t remove at least two of them. One, I can’t really explain where it is.”

He has now laughed: “I was just f****** with it.

“I don’t have any other piercings anywhere. But I love that there’s this thinking: s***, has he got his balls pierced?”

Hamilton concluded about the FIA’s stance on jewellery: “Since I was a kid - rules…

“I’ve never loved being told what to do.”

Hamilton had earlier explained the difficulty of Abu Dhabi 2021 - where he lost a record eighth championship on the final lap of the final race, to Max Verstappen, after a controversial call from race director Michael Masi.

"My worst fears came alive," he said. "I was like, there’s no way they’re going to cheat me out of this. There’s no way. That won’t happen. Surely not.”