Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg have voiced their concerns with regard to standing restarts during F1 grands prix from next year.
The F1 Commission last week passed a proposal that will now go before the World Motor Sport Council for approval it believes will play a part in spicing up the show.
For years the sport has had rolling restarts at the end of a safety car period whereby the train of cars slowly tours around the circuit whilst an incident is attended to, with the leader dictating the pace.
When race director Charlie Whiting gives the all clear to do so, the safety car returns to the pits and the race gets under way again.
But from next season it appears highly likely the cars will now line up on the grid in race position order before being given the green light to resume.
A sceptical Button said: “The standing restart idea is great for the fans. It puts on a great show because the start is very exciting.
“The thing is, though, when you start a race you have new tyres.
“You could find yourself with five or six laps to go at a restart and with your tyres virtually bald at a time when you need flat-out laps to keep heat in them.
“So you would really struggle off the line, and it would be very tricky for us all to keep the cars pointing in the same direction off the start. It could cause mayhem.”
Current championship leader Rosberg has described the potential new regulation as “very extreme”.
The Mercedes star added: “I understand the start is one of the most exciting times in a race, but I hope this is not going to be done.
“That’s going too far with things. Why? I like the pure racing, the way it has been for the past 50 years.
“I don’t really want to see such a huge change, to do another start. It’s strange.
“My natural opinion at the moment is that it should stay the way it is now.”
Mercedes team-mate and title rival Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, feels the drivers should at least be consulted on such matters.
“I need some time to really reflect on that (standing restarts) and imagine how it would work,” said Hamilton, when asked for his thoughts.
“Ultimately, it can’t hurt anyone to have the drivers’ opinions on certain things, or to involve us because we are in the car.”