Formula 1 engine limit increased from four to five for 2015

Teams met on Thursday to discuss the proposal, and following the meeting have agreed to the regulation change.

The rule will now go to the FIA for approval, which could happen before the Chinese Grand Prix in two weeks time.

AUTOSPORT understands that the main motivation for the change is to allow engine upgrade tokens to be utilised with more flexibility.

A change in the interpretation of the rules for 2015 means that engine manufacturers can now spend the tokens, originally intended only to be used between seasons, during the year.

But with only four engines allowed, and some drivers already having introduced second elements of power units after only one completed race weekend, this change will give more flexibility in when those upgrades are made.

The second motivation is to allay concerns of fans being shortchanged by limited track running as teams preserve engine mileage.

The change also has the advantage of mitigating the number of penalties that will be incurred for drivers breaking into components from fifth engines and beyond.

"It's relatively hot off the press, that is, so honestly I've not really thought about it greatly," said Ferrari technical director James Allison when asked by AUTOSPORT about the change.

"Clearly it moves in the direction of offering us more flexibility, more opportunity to bring things to the track so we will go away and figure out what we can do if and when that rule happens."

If the rule change is rubber-stamped, it will mean a return to the engine allocation used in the first season of the 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid engines last year.