Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton managed to avoid a penalty at the Singapore Grand Prix for wearing a nose ring after submitting a medical exemption letter, explaining how his doctors advised him not to take it out due to injury.
However, Mercedes received a fine of €25,000 after submitting a self-examination form which states that “the driver complied with the requirement not to wear body piercing jewelry,” according to the FIA.
The FIA cracked down on the jewelry ban, and earlier this season ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Hamilton threatened not to compete if the ban was imposed. He was exempted until the British Grand Prix for a puncture that could not be removed easily, and since then the Mercedes driver has been taking a nose stud and pulling it out.
However, he had a nose shave on Saturday, and had to see the hosts. But Hamilton said wearing it wasn’t a statement of sorts.
“I’ve had my jewelry and nose studs for years and we obviously had this complete hype at the start of the year,” Hamilton said. “At the time it was like soldered, so it didn’t separate. They gave me, at the time for several races, an exemption so I could find a solution. Then I went to take it out and tried to find a solution, in and out.
“He got infected because of that, and I was keeping this infection going. I had a blood ulcer and he had a sore in my nose. Then I came back and had to get the blood blister fixed, because there were cats and blood.
“I put this back in, and in the last couple of weeks the treatment has started and they’ve been telling me to keep it. It’s crazy to talk about something so small. I’m taking out everything else. At this point, I don’t really care to be honest.”
FIA Deputy Medical Delegate Dr Ian Roberts considered the medical report, which Hamilton approved. The flight attendants took no further action with the driver “in light of the extenuating circumstances”.
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