Just over a week before the season gets underway, the FIA has closed loopholes relating to damaged cars and the formation lap.

Article 43.8 has been revised so that in future cars starting from the pitlane join the rest of the field in completing the formation lap. Previously, those starting from the pitlane would remain in their respective garages, only heading to the end of the pitlane when the grid was finally forming.

Now, on completing the formation lap, those starting from the pitlane will return there and line-up in qualifying order.

However, if the 5-minute pre-race signal has been given they will instead join the back of the grid.

Previously, in certain circumstances, drivers starting in the pitlane could join in a second (or third) formation lap behind the Safety Car, and were a number of drivers involved this could see some opt out, thereby gaining positions when rivals entered the pitlane for the start.

Also, previously, if the start was aborted, necessitating a second formation lap, those starting from the pitlane would have completed one lap less, thereby giving them a fuel advantage.

Finally, in extreme weather, those starting in the pitlane had the advantage of waiting for one lap on a different compound should the track be drying, whereas those on track would need to pit in order to change to a better suited compound.

Ignoring the fact that surely the two latter potential advantages should have been glaringly obvious, another change relates to damaged cars.

"Any driver whose car has significant and obvious damage to a structural component which results in it being in a condition presenting an immediate risk of endangering the driver or others, or whose car has a significant failure or fault which means it cannot reasonably return to the pitlane without unnecessarily impeding another competitor or otherwise hindering the competition, must leave the track as soon as it is safe to do so," reads the updated regulation.

"At the sole discretion of the race director, should a car be deemed to have such significant and obvious damage to a structural component, or such significant failure or fault, the competitor may be instructed that the car must leave the track as soon as it is safe to do so."

This change is thought to relate to previous incidents involving Sergio Perez in Canada last year, and another in 2022 at the Circuit of the Americas, again involving the Red Bull driver.

The new rule allows race director Rui Marques to order it removed from the track, thereby preventing incidents, such as those mentioned, whereby a driver seeks to continue with a clearly damaged, and potentially dangerous, car.

Haas protested the COTA result when Perez and Fernando Alonso both finished the race with damaged cars, while on three occasions previously over the course of the season Kevin Magnussen had been shown the black-and-orange flag for having damage to his car similar to that of the Mexican's in America.