Formula 1 stewards have warned drivers that leaving the track during the opening corner sequences of the Mexico City Grand Prix could be considered a lasting advantage, even if they do not gain a position.

It comes after multiple drivers cut the run-off area between turns one and three at the start of last year's race in Mexico City. George Russell was notably unhappy at the time after seeing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen go off the grass in the opening complex of corners and rejoin the track without any penalty.

He likened it to "allowing you to risk everything and you just have a get-out-of-jail-free card if you get it wrong", before adding: "It's like a lawnmower race. Something needs to change there."

The stewards have taken action ahead of Sunday's race with a clarification applying to the opening lap and the first lap after any race resumption, covering Turns 1 to 3 and Turns 4 to 6.

A document published by the FIA read: "Applicable for this event, on Lap 1 and the first lap after any Resumption, in Turns 1 to 3, and Turns 4 to 6, all cars will, by default, be considered as both attacking and defending. Thus, in line with existing guidelines, any car leaving the track in these areas and maintaining a position to a car or cars within close proximity behind (as determined by the stewards) may be considered as gaining a lasting advantage."

Drivers given deadlines to surrender positions

Drivers leaving the track between Turns 1 and 3 must yield the relevant position if necessary by Turn 4 to avoid potentially being judged to have gained a lasting advantage. For those leaving the circuit between Turns 4 and 6, the deadline is Turn 12.

Whether a following car was close enough for the incident to fall under the instruction will be determined by the stewards.

The run to the first corner in Mexico is the longest of the year so polesitter Lewis Hamilton will face a tough challenge to keep his rival cars behind him. He starts on the front row alongside George Russell, while Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli could get some powerful slipstream from the second row.

Hamilton took his first pole for Ferrari by just 0.009 seconds from Russell, in what is also the first pole position for the Italian team this season. Charles Leclerc had looked a stronger contender for pole than his teammate but made a mistake on his second lap in Q3.