Formula One stewards exempted Lewis Hamilton from a jewellery ban at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday after accepting he risked disfigurement if a nose piercing was removed.
The seven-time world champion's Mercedes team had requested an exemption after Hamilton's self-scrutineering sheet failed to confirm he was complying with a requirement to remove all jewellery.
The ban on jewellery during a race is for safety reasons and is set out in the FIA's International Sporting Code, but it was not rigorously enforced until last season when it triggered headlines.
Hamilton, 38, has worn a permanent nose stud in his left nostril for years and photographs in Bahrain have shown him also with one on the right.
He explained at last October's Singapore Grand Prix, when he was also given an exemption, that taking the left one out had caused the piercing to become infected.
The stewards in Bahrain said in a statement they had consulted the FIA medical delegate who examined Hamilton and agreed with the request for a continued exemption.
"We have determined to take no further action as there are concerns about disfigurement with frequent attempts at removal of the device," the stewards explained.
The rules state that "the wearing of jewellery in the form of body piercing or metal neck chains is prohibited during the competition and may therefore be checked before the start."
Meanwhile, Red Bull's Sergio Perez set the pace in the first practice session of the season on Friday with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso denying the champions a one-two on the timesheets.
Perez lapped Bahrain's Sakhir circuit with a best time of one minute 32.758 seconds on soft tyres, 0.438 quicker than Spaniard Alonso, with reigning champion Max Verstappen third and a further two tenths slower.
Double world champion Alonso, the oldest man on the grid at 41, will be starting his 20th season after moving from Renault-owned Alpine.
McLaren's Lando Norris was fourth, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll -- the Canadian racing after breaking both his wrists in a cycling accident last month.
Stroll was kept waiting for the first 20 minutes due to an ignition problem.
Once-dominant Mercedes had a quiet session on a hot afternoon with Hamilton 10th and team-mate George Russell 11th on medium tyres.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri was the highest-placed rookie in 12th, with AlphaTauri's Nyck de Vries 16th and Williams' Logan Sargeant 18th.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was last after a big spin.
Red Bull are favourites for the weekend in Bahrain after setting the pace in testing.
