Hamilton and FIA face off: Heavy penalties looming for driver

Lewis Hamilton's piercings continue to stir up controversy. The FIA sill thinks that the Briton must remove all piercings before he can participate in a Grand Prix weekend. Hamilton himself seems to have no intention of doing so.

No more getting away with it

For the race in Miami, Hamilton has been given a medical exception, because Hamilton says the piercings can't be easily removed. But that's not an exception he can invoke every time. Next time they have to be gone, though, or Hamilton won't get away with it with impunity.

Officially, the FIA has not announced any penalties, in case Hamilton persists in his stance not to take off the piercings. The teams do know what a driver is up against if he refuses to remove his body decorations, according to Auto, Motor und Sport. The penalties are proving to be quite severe.

Points deduction

For a first offence, the driver must pay a 50,000 euro fine, plus he receives a 25,000 euro suspended sentence. Repeat offenses can result in a fine of 100,000 euros, plus the 25,000 euros from the probationary period. With a third violation of the rules it becomes even 250,000 euros fine and deduction of championship points. There would be ten points deduction per violation. Teams must also watch out: if they do not tell the truth about their drivers' jewelry, they could be fined up to a quarter of a million euros.