Having met with representatives of Honda the FIA is said to be considering making changes to the engine rules.

The meeting, which took place yesterday, followed Honda's call for the governing body to look at the situation that the Japanese manufacturer finds itself in on its return to the sport in partnership with McLaren.

A loophole in the regulations means that Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault do not yet have a deadline by which their engines must be homologated, whereas in 2014, the first year of the new formula, the deadline was 28 February.

However, as a new manufacturer, Honda must observe the same (28 February) deadline its rivals adhered to, a rule the Japanese manufacturer claims is unfair.

Last week Honda (and McLaren) revealed they had been in touch with the FIA and though unwilling to make any further comment on the situation admitted that they had called for "fair competition".

Following yesterday's meeting, though still unwilling to give much away, a Honda spokesperson did at least tell the BBC that talks were "constructive" and that the meeting "went well".

Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault now have the freedom to carry out performance developments into 2015 providing they do not exceed the 32 areas of development (each known as a token) outlined in the regulations and do not exceed the four power unit limit per car. Interestingly, though Honda is (currently) operating under the 2014 regulations it, like its rivals, will be limited to four power units per car this year.

As one would expect, the 'token system' is somewhat complicated.

This year, Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault can change 32 tokens - whereas changing 100% of the permissible components would require 66 tokens. In 2016 they can change 25 tokens, in 2017 twenty, in 2018 fifteen and just three in 2019 and again in 2020.

Honda, which currently has no tokens, is therefore looking for a token gesture from the FIA.