The rule change, which was announced just minutes before the start of today's FP1 session, has been made in direct response to last weekend's dramatic and highly-viewed sprint race which saw Marc Marquez win despite crashing in wet conditions.

Under the current flag-to-flag rules, riders are allowed to change bikes if the weather conditions change during the race - either for wet to dry or dry to wet, and the Jerez sprint was a perfect example of the chaos this rule can bring. Midway through the race a deluge of rain hit the circuit, causing multiple riders to slide off, including Marquez, who fell at the final corner of the track.

According to the rules last week, a crashed rider can remount and enter the pit lane even if they cut across from the outside of the track - provided they have not endangered any other riders. Marquez logically took advantage of the chaos and switched bikes on what turned out to the be the optimal lap.

However, now it is being announced that the pit lane entry lines will be more strictly enforced so that no such moves can happen again. Not only does the change appear to have been specially designed to target Marquez, it also sets a very worrying precedent of mid-season rule changes - making interpretation much more difficult for both riders and fans moving forward.

The change is just the latest in a bombardment of strange decisions from MotoGP authorities. Recently a string of new changes were made including the banning of wildcard riders, and an engine stalling rule implemented at the start of the season means riders are forced to hold onto their bikes in the event of a crash - a ruleset which thankfully has not led to any major accidents yet, but there have been close calls.

Liberty Media's CEO Derek Chang has confirmed that talks have been held regarding a potential future race at the Miami International Autodrome at the Hard Rock Stadium, where Formula 1 currently takes place. Read about it here.