He said Mercedes remains off pace from reigning champion and preseason favorite Red Bull. Hamilton, who went winless last season for the first time in a career that started in 2007, was 10th fastest in Friday’s first practice. We’ve definitely got bigger fish to fry.”

“We shouldn’t have to keep on revisiting this thing every weekend. “Honestly, I feel like there’s just way too much time and energy being given to this,” Hamilton said in Monaco. He kept his nose stud in at Monaco later that month after the FIA extended his exemption, but remained frustrated by the ban. He suggested he was willing to sit out races over the issue.

Last May, Hamilton protested the jewelry ban by showing up at the Miami GP wearing multiples watches and rings. NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports celebrate finishing 24 Hours of Le Mans The FIA did not reference his nose stud in a Friday statement but said Hamilton received a medical exemption related to “concerns about disfigurement.” “People love to have power, and to enforce power.” Because I’m the only one that has jewelry on, really,” he told the magazine. In a later interview with Vanity Fair, Hamilton admitted that he exaggerated his piercings to push back at what he believed was being personally targeted by the ban. Hamilton said he had to keep the stud in because of complications linked to a blood blister on his nose, which occurred because he kept having to take it out for races. He received an exception for his nose stud. Hamilton has clashed with governing body FIA over a jewelry ban enacted last year and indicated he had piercings that cannot be removed. SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) - Formula One’s governing body inspected Lewis Hamilton’s jewelry before the seven-time champion was cleared to practice Friday ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. I Can't Stop Thinking About Formula One's Vanity Fair Photoshoot

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