With the imminent ban of engines over 3-litres for the upcoming 1972 season, the FIA made no changes to their standing regulations. The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) likewise made very few changes. The experiment of the standing-start in echelon from the previous year was discarded. A 2-by-2 rolling start behind a safety car became the most preferred way, which remains the tradition up to the modern day. This allowed an Armco guardrail to be erected between the pits and the main straight, greatly increasing the safety of the pit-crews. Drivers were also now permitted to stay in their cars during refuelling.