Only a handful of races into his Formula 1 career, Oliver Bearman has already influenced the sport’s regulations after his pit stop under Safety Car conditions in Australia created confusion.

Contesting his first-ever Formula 1 Grand Prix in the rain, Bearman was a lap down at the Albert Park circuit when the Safety Car came out after Fernando Alonso crashed his Aston Martin.

Max Verstappen v Oliver Bearman and the new F1 regulation

Under F1 regulations, that meant the Briton was permitted to unlap himself and catch back up to the rear of the field.

Haas, though, then made the call for Bearman to pit on lap 41, still with the race under Safety Car conditions, with the Briton returning to the track ahead of Max Verstappen, who was in the fight for the Grand Prix victory.

There was some confusion over that with Verstappen asking his 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].”

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Bearman, though, was allowed to un-lap himself again, giving Verstappen a run at the leading McLarens.

But while the Haas driver was given two opportunities that Sunday to unlap himself, Formula 1 has now closed that loophole ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.

Publishing updated regulations, the FIA ruled that it is now ‘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.

“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,” read the updated regulation.

“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.”

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