On one side the new FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem insists that Hamilton’s remaining nose stud must be taken out on safety grounds in time for the Monaco Grand Prix on May 29, having granted him three weeks to have the piercing surgically removed. If Hamilton refuses to submit to the edict, he faces a £42,000 fine in Monaco. Chicken feed for a man who earns £40million a year, but he would also accrue points on his racing licence. As Hamilton said in Monaco 11 years ago when he felt harshly treated by the stewards: ‘Maybe it’s ‘cos I’m black – that’s what Ali G says.’.

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