Max Verstappen’s public questioning of Haas driver Oliver Bearman highlighted a loophole in the Formula One rules that has now been closed. The Red Bull man was left baffled over his team radio at the Australian Grand Prix when chasing the McLarens, Bearman suddenly appeared in front of him.

Fernando Alonso crashed at the Albert Park circuit and a safety car was duly deployed, which meant that Bearman at the back of the grid and a lap behind, was able to unlap himself and catch up to the pack. Driving his first F1 race in the rain, Bearman was called in to pit while still under safety car conditions. He returned to the track ahead of third-placed Verstappen, who was confused about Bearman inadvertently exploiting such a loophole.

He asked race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase: “So this car is now staying here, or what?”

Lambiase replied: “That’s correct. He’ll have to let you go immediately [at the restart].”

Red Bull mistakenly believed that Bearman would remain in front of Verstappen until the restart, potentially causing the Dutchman to lose ground in his bid to catch Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Bearman was able to unlap himself and allow Verstappen to pass, though F1 have closed that loophole, starting with this weekend’s Miami GP.

Updating their regulations, the FIA said that it is “at the sole discretion of the race director Rui Marques to decide whether or not the pit lane shall be closed during a safety car period”.

They added: “If the clerk of the course considers it safe to do so, the message ‘lapped cars may now overtake’ will be sent to all competitors using the official messaging system, and the green light on the safety car will be illuminated to signal to all cars that have been lapped by the leader that they are required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car.

“Having overtaken the cars on the lead lap and the safety car, these cars should then proceed around the track at an appropriate speed, without overtaking and they must make every effort to take up position at the back of the line of cars behind the safety car.

“Whilst such cars are proceeding around the track to rejoin the line of cars behind the safety car, and at the sole discretion of the race director, the pit lane exit may be closed when the safety car and line of cars behind it are approaching and passing the pit lane exit.”

Essentially, the race director now has the power to close the pit lane entrance when drivers are unlapping themselves during a safety car period.