Should the Australian GP have been restarted after Magnussen's crash?

By:

Alex Kalinauckas

Co-author:

Kevin Turner

Apr 5, 2023, 8:52 AM

Opinions are split at Autosport over the wisdom of staging a third standing start so late in the Australian Grand Prix. So here we present the arguments for and against the events that played out after Kevin Magnussen’s crash created late-race drama and controversy at Albert Park

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YES - Alex Kalinauckas

When Max Verstappen blew past Lewis Hamilton like a jet plane taking off while a cancelled rival sits idle, the Australian Grand Prix was over as a contest. Even on a track where Red Bull struggles with tyres as much as the rest and had braking problems last weekend, there was no hope of any further action in the battle for the win. And it had looked so good for the neutral early on!

But when Verstappen’s advantage was removed at a stroke by the second red flag, suddenly there was a Hamilton with no 2023 title aspirations to consider when mulling a lunge into Turn 1. Throw in the relentlessly brilliant Fernando Alonso behind, and that’s a potent mix. A trio of champion combustion. So much better than a safety car conclusion or a result declared early.

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Alex Kalinauckas

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Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.