MARCH 30, 2005

FIA bans jewellery

The FIA World Council has announced an immediate ban on the wearing of jewellery by race and rally competitors. This will include all body piercing and heavy chains, which means that several F1 stars will have to change their taste as heavy gold chains have been seen on one or two famous necks over the years. It will also presumably mean that Christian Klien for one will have to get rid of his earring and Vitantonio Liuzzi's "pirate" look will have to change. The move is presumably being made on the grounds of safety as metal can cause burns in the event of a fire, even if it beneath a covering of Nomex. It is not clear whether expensive gold watches will be allowed as these often appear on the wrists of the stars as pure decoration - in exchange for horse-choking wedges of dollars from watch manufacturers.