Lewis Hamilton is one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time. He is not just a legend in F1, but one of the biggest names in all of sports. His success on the track has given him a platform that he uses to make himself heard on the world stage.
However, Hamilton often resorts to protesting against the governing body of the sport itself, because of the rules they make. Over the last two years, the issue regarding drivers wearing jewelries during races has been under the spotlight. While most drivers are okay with this rule being implemented, Hamilton is not.
The 38-year-old has been wearing earrings and a nose ring for almost the entirety of his racing career & does not understand why the FIA are so adamant on making him remove it. He has been threatened with fines and penalties on more than one occasion, but has firmly maintained his stance on the matter.
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Lewis Hamilton wore three watches to protest against FIA
Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix in 2022, Hamilton arrived to the F1 paddock wearing three watches. These were made by IWC and were exclusive for the drivers of Mercedes and team members. The value of those watches amounted close to $10,000 and Hamilton made sure that all three of his watches would be on display.
Hamilton was not in a good mood in the press conference leading up to the Miami GP. The FIA was talking about potentially banning Hamilton from taking part in the Grand Prix because of his defiance but the 7-time World Champion did not care.
“We’ve got a spare driver so we’re all ready and prepped for the weekend,” he said to ESPN. “There’s lots to do in the city anyway! It’ll be good either way.”
The FIA did not ban Hamilton from taking part in the race, and the Briton did suit up with his jewelry.
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Hamilton hoping to bounce back from disastrous 2022 campaign
Hamilton’s 2022 turned out to be a disaster. It was the first time he went through an entire calendar year without winning a race, and that was mainly down to the Mercedes W13 being inferior to the RB18 and F1-75. However, he also lost out to his teammate George Russell in the drivers’ championship which surprised a fair few many people.
Hamilton will be hoping that the W14 is much better than its predecessor as he aims to get back into the title picture once again in 2023.
