Lewis Hamilton's Nose Piercing Has Been Cleared to Race in Formula 1

Photo: Gongora/NurPhoto (Getty Images)

One of the most significant conflicts in racing is finally over. Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, international motorsport’s governing body, has cleared Lewis Hamilton’s nose piercing for use in competition. The FIA spent most of last season attempting to force the seven-time world champion into complying with the organization’s safety regulations to the exact letter of the law. The governing body has now yielded and will certainly use its time to solve the other lesser problems plaguing the sport.

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The official document clearing Lewis Hamilton’s nose piercing states, “The Stewards consulted the FIA Medical Delegate, who viewed the medical report, examined the driver and concurred with the opinion therein. We have determined to take no further action as there are concerns about disfigurement with frequent attempts at removal of the device.” According to the Associated Press, Hamilton has said that he has a blood blister on his nose that could become infected if he had to remove it to drive an F1 car constantly.

This strict enforcement of existing regulations began at the start of the 2023 season under the oversight of new race director Niels Wittich. The previous race director Michael Masi’s loose interpretation led to the debacle at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and his dismissal from race control. Hamilton received a multiple-race waiver from the FIA but was eventually fined $24,500 last October during the Singapore Grand Prix for non-compliance.

Common sense has finally prevailed over the bureaucratic nightmare of a 200-plus-member club federation. However, there’s no mention of his rumored piercing on his genitalia. He told Vanity Fair that his claim of having one was just to provoke the FIA, but I’m not entirely sure about it.