Lewis Hamilton ends fight over nose ring and says it is time to focus on 'bigger fish to fry'
- Lewis Hamilton was facing a fine and eventual suspension if he had continued to wear jewelry during F1 races.
- Hamilton removed his last visible piercing before the British Grand Prix, a nose stud.
Lewis Hamilton has ended his fight with the FIA over enforcement of its jewelry ban during Formula One races and says there are more important things in the world to worry about.
Hamilton arrived at the British Grand Prix without his signature nose stud piercing. By removing the jewelry, Hamilton avoided a fine that could have been elevated to a suspension if he disregarded the ban more than three times, according to ESPN.
Before the Miami Grand Prix, Formula One's governing body announced it would start enforcing its ban on jewelry during races, calling the accessories a safety hazard. Some felt the move targeted Lewis Hamilton, who has worn earrings and a nose stud throughout his career.
The seven-time champion had previously said there were two piercings he could not remove, including the stud in his nose and one he couldn't "really explain where it is." It is unclear if he also removed the second piercing.
He was eventually given two extensions to get the piercings surgically removed.
Before the British Grand Prix, Hamilton was asked for an update on the stare down with the FIA, and he said it was time to move on to more important issues.
"With all due respect, it's kind of crazy to think that, with everything that's going on in the world, that is a focus for people," Hamilton said. "And I would say it's worrying that we've got so much 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. So I will work with Mohammed and with his team so that we can progress forwards."
Among the "bigger fish" Hamilton was referring to was likely what he had earlier described as "archaic mindsets" in F1. Before the Silverstone race, three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet used the Portuguese equivalent of the N-word to describe Hamilton. Later in the week, former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone defended Vladimir Putin, saying he would take a bullet for the Russian president.