“I Couldn’t Be Me…”: Lewis Hamilton Battled Himself Over Jewelry & Appearances Long Before the FIA Came Into the Picture

The youngest driver to win an F1 World Championship in his time. The only black driver on the grid. These are big feats. They are feats Lewis Hamilton achieved. But he is much more than just these feats.

A visionary, a misfit, and a celebrity is how Jonathan Wells described Lewis Hamilton after talking to the man in 2020. He’s a man of eclectic tastes; a man who cannot be bound in any way, try all you want.

Lewis tells him about his entry into F1 and the way it changed his life. He said “When I got into Formula One, I actually thought to myself: ‘Okay, you have to look this certain way, speak this certain way, present yourself the way these people want you to present yourself.'”

“I couldn’t be me. I had comments on my hair. I had comments on my earrings. I had all these pressures. But I also had a choice: Did I listen to these people, do what they wanted me to do and be unhappy? Or did I just be myself? They might be unhappy with me — but is that my problem?” Lewis said.

Read More: Before Rumored Hair Transplant, Lewis Hamilton Revealed the Disastrous Decision That “Killed” His Hair

He is a man of his own tastes, of his own ways. F1 fame couldn’t restrict him. Nothing the world says or thinks could restrict him. 

Lewis Hamilton is in trouble with the FIA for his non-conformity

His interview with Jonathan Wells from 2020 becomes even more relevant in light of Hamilton’s recent problems with the FIA in regard to his jewelry.

At the beginning of the season, before the Miami GP, the FIA warned him about his piercings and jewelry. The Briton was quick to reject compliance. He showed his discontent by showing up for media duties wearing multiple ornaments.

The matter again gathered pace as he was summoned by the stewards in Singapore for his nose ring. He argued before the FIA that he had tried to remove the stud but couldn’t because of medical reasons.

The FIA deliberated with Dr. Ian Roberts, Deputy Medical Delegate of the FIA, and agreed with the explanation. He was therefore not penalized.

Watch This Story: Lewis Hamilton’s Most Outlandish Outfits

Mercedes were not so lucky though. They had to cough up $24,550 as they had declared in their self-scrutineering form that Hamilton would not be wearing any jewelry.