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Vote: Autosport Best of the Month for June 2026

General
Vote: Autosport Best of the Month for June 2026

Why similar Williams and Aston Martin failures are oddly reassuring

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Formula 1
Austrian GP
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McLaren still to investigate why it's losing to Mercedes on the straights, despite same PU

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Austrian GP
McLaren still to investigate why it's losing to Mercedes on the straights, despite same PU

Explained: The factors behind WRC’s big 2027 transition and the hurdles it still faces

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WRC
Rally Greece
Explained: The factors behind WRC’s big 2027 transition and the hurdles it still faces

Marquez admits he "didn't want to walk into the paddock" because he "associated it with pain"

MotoGP
Dutch GP
Marquez admits he "didn't want to walk into the paddock" because he "associated it with pain"

Top five roles on Motorsport Jobs this week

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Autosport Retro video: Remembering the 1987 British GP

Formula 1
British GP
Autosport Retro video: Remembering the 1987 British GP

Williams plans “almost entirely new car” by Azerbaijan GP

Formula 1
Austrian GP
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F1's new 2018 restart rules risk causing chaos - Romain Grosjean

Romain Grosjean believes some Formula 1 restarts in 2018 could descend into chaos if drivers have to stick with old tyres after a red flag

F1 races this year may feature standing starts after red-flag periods, with the cars being led by a safety car before forming up on the grid.

Though drivers will have the option to fit new tyres in the pitlane while preparing for the restart, they may not have fresh rubber left in their allocation - for instance if the restart comes very late in the race.

That would leave some contending with poor grip, which Grosjean suffered from while performing a practice run of the restart procedure on old rubber in testing on Wednesday.

He said it was so bad "I didn't go above fourth gear", claiming he would usually reach eighth by Turn 1, and claimed that "safety-wise I'm a bit concerned".

"To me it could be carnage," he said. "You could lose the car in a straight line.

"Honestly I was not having much fun, just trying to upshift and downshift was tricky.

"[Valtteri] Bottas was in front of me and was not having much fun either."

Grosjean said if someone is able to take on fresh tyres and another driver is not then "you're going to lose 25 seconds on the first lap".

"It's undriveable," he added. "I was one of the first cars to come on the grid, so I stayed there with Bottas a long time.

"When we restarted it is like it is raining [and we are] on slicks.

"Every time you upshift the rear wheelspins, every time you downshift the rear locks."

Grosjean likened it to when drivers have crashed out of safety car restarts in the rain.

He said: "Some tracks it's fine, you can generate the temperature [in the tyres].

"Canada [is good but] here in those conditions [or] in China, I'm not sure you're going to get that temperature back."

Grosjean also revealed he thought the FIA was just experimenting with the procedure and did not know standing restarts were definitely being implemented.

The Grand Prix Drivers' Association director said he would speak with group chairman Alexander Wurz.

"I'm just going to say that in my experience I feel like it's dangerous," said Grosjean.

"Maybe the others don't feel the same but I don't feel confident going with cold tyres."

Grosjean's team boss Gunther Steiner said the restarts would "make it more interesting" but said rulemakers needed to be wary of consequences "that we don't expect".

"It needs to go up the chain now and we'll see what the outcome is," he said.

"That's why we do these tests.

"I don't know how bad it is and for sure somebody will be looking into it, getting videos and times, and they'll see if it's actually dangerous or not."

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