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Drivers have been reminded that they are not allowed to wear body piercings or metal necklaces while on track at this weekend’s Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
FIA race director, Niels Wittich, has drawn attention to an item in the International Sporting Code which prohibits drivers from wearing “jewellery in the form of body piercing or metal neck chains.”
The reminder comes as part of Wittich’s event notes which includes the laundry list of changes to the Albert Park circuit since F1 was last in Melbourne.
A number of drivers sport jewellery, from chains to piercings and rings, though the memo is reportedly not aimed at an individual or in response to a specific transgression.
Also mentioned in the notes is the realignment of the Turn 5 barrier, specifically that it has “been realigned closer to the edge of the track.”
That barrier, and more specifically the Tecpro barrier in front of the wall itself, has since been modified following two hefty crashes during Supercars practice and qualifying on Thursday.
Aside from the known track changes, also different for 2022 is the pit wall being realigned to the edge of the racing surface in the front straight.
That has come as a result of the pit lane itself being widened by two metres, while the grass verge at pit exit that scuppered Daniel Ricciardo’s race in 2019 has been tarmacked over.
Opening practice for the Australian Grand Prix gets underway today at 13:00 AEST.
