Lewis Hamilton appeared to back down in the Formula 1 jewellery row by removing his nose stud ahead of Friday's practice sessions.
But it is clear the seven-times world champion is exasperated by the ongoing clampdown and will have talks with the governing body’s boss Mohamed Ben Sulayem in a bid to reach some sort of compromise. Ben Sulayem, president of the FIA, has decided the sport’s long-standing jewellery ban for drivers – which has been largely ignored for many years – should be enforced, with possible sanctions to include being suspended from a race.
Hamilton thinks the edict is ridiculous and has taken to turning up for media duties wearing as much jewellery as possible. He argued that one nose stud would be particularly difficult to remove and that led to a series of medical exemptions being granted for previous Grands Prix.
While he was pictured arriving at Silverstone with the stud clearly visible, it was gone when he put on his helmet for the first practice session. Had he not taken it out, he could have been ordered to appear in front of the stewards.
But although Hamilton seems to have complied with the regulations, he is obviously not happy. At his official press conference, Hamilton – who spoke at length about diversion and inclusivity in the sport after being the subject of derogatory remarks from Nelson Piquet – said: "With all due respect, it's kind of crazy to think that with everything that is going on in the world, that this is a focus for people.
"It's worrying – we've got bigger fish to fry. We've really got to start focusing on other more important areas. I will be racing this weekend. I will be working with the FIA. I would say the matter is not particularly massively important but I'll work with Mohamed and his team for the best way forward."
Hamilton’s latest exemption expired on June 30 and the FIA had no intention of backing down in the row. They were expected to open disciplinary action had he not had the stud removed for race weekend. The FIA insist the rule is in place for driver safety, claiming jewellery can affect the fire-resistant clothing and might hinder an escape from the car.
But back in May, Hamilton said: "When they told me about the jewellery, they were saying safety is everything. I said, 'Well, what's happened for the last 16 years? I've had jewellery on for 16 years. So was safety not an issue back then? I feel like it's almost like a step backwards, if you think about the steps we are taking as a sport, and the more important causes that we need to be focused on."
