New Formula 1 grand prix start rules 'a big change' - Nico Rosberg
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg reckons revised rules regarding starting clutch procedures in Formula 1, set for introduction at next month's Belgian Grand Prix, will make race starts more unpredictable

The FIA issued a technical directive to teams on July 9, detailing measures to reduce the influence of the pitwall on how F1 drivers operate their cars at the start of races.
Rosberg reckons the new rules will increase the chances of the competitive order changing on the opening laps of races, because reduced radio communication and help from teams with clutch settings will lead to drivers making more mistakes.
When quizzed about the revised rules during a promotional event for Mercedes' technical partner Petronas, Rosberg said: "It's going to be a challenge, it really is, because up to now it was so controlled by the engineers, who were doing the settings and everything.
"Now, to be completely on your own, it's a big change, so it will be interesting.
"It'll be easy to do it, but it will be complex to do it well."
Rosberg and Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton locked out the front row for the recent British GP, but slipped behind both Williams drivers after both made poor getaways.
The German said Mercedes' poor starts at Silverstone were the result of low grip on the grid and imperfect clutch settings, and that the chances of a repeat will increase when the new rules come into force next month.
"We had a few things that surprised us [at Silverstone], for example the grip on the starting grid and then the grip that our clutch had was a bit of a surprise due to some variable that happened earlier," he added.
"We didn't do a perfect job.
"More of that will happen [with the new rules], because there will be more variables and it will be more difficult to predict."
Rosberg beat title rival Hamilton away from the startline convincingly at June's Austrian GP, and he thinks the new regulations will increase his chances of developing an advantage over his team-mate.
"I like it [the change] because it gives me the opportunity to try and beat Lewis in that area," he said.
"Whereas until now it's difficult because it was not really in the driver's hands."

Jenson Button believes F1 summer break will help McLaren-Honda
Piercarlo Ghinzani to auction his collection of old Formula 1 cars

Latest news
Double F1 race winner Jean Pierre Jabouille has died
Former French Formula 1 driver Jean-Pierre Jabouille has died on Thursday at age 80, French media have reported.
IMSA champion Jarvis to contest full ELMS season with United Autosports
Reigning IMSA Sportscar Championship title-winner Oliver Jarvis will contest the European Le Mans Series with United Autosports alongside Formula 2 convert Marino Sato, in addition to the World Endurance Championship.
20 years on: Porsche’s 911 GT Daytona 24 Hours giant-killing relived
IMSA’s new GTP class for LMDh cars had a more auspicious debut last weekend than the Daytona Prototypes that arrived in 2003. Back then, they were humbled by a GT Porsche 911, which won the Floridian sportscar classic by nine laps.
Entries open for the 2023 Williams Autosport Engineer of the Future Award story
Entries have opened for the 2023 Williams Autosport Engineer of the Future Award, with budding motorsport engineers invited to apply for the revamped prize.
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.