
F1 underpants now in new FIA race director's firing line after initial jewellery clampdown
F1 News
F1 underpants now in new FIA race director's firing line after initial jewellery clampdown

New FIA race director Niels Wittich has further astonished the drivers by raising the subject of non-compliant underwear after earlier this week reinforcing a ban on the wearing of jewellery during F1 grands prix.
Wittich and Eduardo Freitas have jointly replaced former race director Michael Masi, with the latter overseeing the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, whilst the former is in charge of his first event this weekend in Australia.
Wittich caused a stir by highlighting in his pre-race event notes that the wearing of any jewellery, including piercings, was forbidden as it constituted a safety breach of the current regulations.
That led to a humourous exchange between F1 champions Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen during one part of Friday's drivers' conference.
It is understood the subject also sparked strong debate during the drivers' briefing on Friday evening, in which Wittich also made clear drivers can no longer wear non-fire retardant underwear as that also constitutes a breach of the safety rules.
Asked whether the new race directors were perhaps being too rigorous in applying the letter of the law with regard to the regulations, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner replied: "I certainly won't be checking our drivers' underwear!
"For compliance, I see that as a team manager role," before adding with tongue firmly in cheek "although I'm reliably informed our drivers go commando! Hopefully, it won't be an issue for them."
He then stated: "I've yet to meet the race director. Obviously, they're doing the best job they can with the rules they have.
"I understand it was an entertaining drivers' briefing yesterday. In the interests of weight-saving, whether you're losing jewellery or underwear at the moment is quite helpful for us."
FIA race director "over-zealous" - Red Bull boss Horner
On track at Melbourne's Albert Park, Wittich also clamped down on a number of impeding infringements across Friday's two practice sessions, with a few drivers issued with reprimands.
Four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel was also fined €5,000 for riding a scooter on track within five minutes of the conclusion of FP1.
Commenting on the number of reprimands, Horner added: "I think it's something the drivers actually requested but there needs to be an element of commonsense.
"Too many penalties in a practice one...the biggest thing as a deterrent for the drivers is a fine. That tends to be what hurts them the most so maybe we should look at fines rather than reprimands and potential grid penalties.
"You don't want to be over-zealous in P1 on a circuit that is relatively new.
"It's something that's discussed at great length in the various meetings. We just need to come up with something to simplify some of these regulations."
Most read

F1 LIVE - Party fever: McLaren names 2023 car

Ricciardo responds to Red Bull Bathurst snub

'Taking car leak to a whole new level' - Social media goes WILD after Alfa Romeo launch fail

F1 calendar meltdown warning as Montoya lays in on Ferrari - GPFans F1 Recap

Embarrassing launch gaffe as Alfa Romeo leak their own car
F1 Standings

Races
-
Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2023
-
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Australia 2023
-
Grand Prix of China 2023
-
Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2023
-
Miami Grand Prix 2023
-
Pirelli Gran Premio Del Made In Italy E Dell'emilia Romagna 2023
-
Grand Prix of Monaco 2023
-
Grand Prix of Spain 2023
-
Grand Prix of Canada 2023
-
Grand Prix of Austria 2023
-
Grand Prix of Great Britain 2023
-
Grand Prix of Hungary 2023
-
Grand Prix of Belgium 2023
-
Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Italy 2023
-
Grand Prix of Singapore 2023
-
Grand Prix of Japan 2023
-
Qatar Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of the United States 2023
-
Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2023
-
Grand Prix of Brazil 2023
-
Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2023
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media

7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860