Horner sees problem for FIA: 'It's a personal choice'

Jewellery and piercings in F1

The FIA has had a long battle against mainly Lewis Hamilton at the start of this season. The sport's regulations have for years stated that jewellery and piercings should not be worn, but these rules were never enforced. This is what the new race directors Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas wanted to do, but they met with a lot of resistance.

Hamilton is an outspoken opponent of this rule and also someone who likes to keep his piercings in. For example, he would not even be able to take some piercings off because they are stuck. Hamilton was granted a medical exemption, but only temporarily. Still, there is no clarity on the situation.

Horner's opinion

''It's an issue for the FIA. If it's something they see as a safety-related thing, then it's very much down to them. I don't have a strong feeling on it either way. It's a personal choice. I can imagine if you have something in your mouth and you swallowed and choked on it then it wouldn't be great but I don't have a strong position,'' says Horner to the British medium.

Above all, Horner sees that the new president of the FIA has come under a magnifying glass. Mohammed Ben Sulayem is making his mark in his first year in the sport. ''He [new FIA president] is getting his head around it. An awful lot going on in the sport and he's having to get himself up to speed quickly. Some major issues he's having to deal with at the moment,'' Horner concluded.