Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has told Formula One officials that he will have to cut off his ear to comply with their own demands to ban the wearing of jewellery.
While the jewelry ban has been in place since 2004, new racing chief Nils Fitich brought the rule back to the fore in his pre-race remarks before broaching the matter directly with Hamilton and his peers in a two-hour briefing for the drivers, BA Media reported.
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Fetish stated that the applicable law aims to protect the driver by not having anything to prevent him from quickly escaping from the car.
But in a show of defiance, Hamilton competed in the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, wearing ear and nose jewelry.
“I have no plans to take it off,” said Hamilton, 37, who finished fourth.
The FIA rule states that the wearing of body-piercing ornaments or neck chains is prohibited during competition and can then be checked before the start of the race.
In theory, Hamilton could be penalized or deducted points if he violated the Sports Charter.