The safety car situation which potentially cost Nick Heidfeld a fourth points finish of the 2008 Formula One season are unlikely to be revised before next year, according to Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali.

Despite qualifying poorly, by his 2008 standards at least, Heidfeld was sitting comfortably in the points, running sixth, at the time of Heikki Kovalainen's crash, but the arrival of the safety car to help cover the subsequent rescue operation cost him the chance to add to his tally. Promoted to the lead by the various fuel strategies being employed among the frontrunners, the German hoped to ride out the first couple of laps before he had to pit, but had no option but to stop while the pit-lane was still officially 'closed', costing him a stop-go penalty.

"Heidfeld was unlucky in a way with the conditions of the safety car, because he was forced to stop when he basically had no more fuel, so he had to pay a penalty," Domenicali admitted, before revealing that the rules - based on a system widespread in US racing - are unlikely to change this season.

"I don't know if it will be possible to be changed before the end of the season," he confessed, "For sure, it's under discussion in the next Sporting Working Group. It's on the agenda, [and] it's something that we want to work out because, for sure, it's very unlucky if you get in that situation. But this could happen to anyone.

"Don't forget that a safety car, in a normal way, can be very unlucky, so we need to stay cool and think what is the best option for everyone before changing something. The worst thing that we can do in Formula One now is to make a change, and then suddenly realise that we've changed it for the worse. Then you get lost.

"Before you do something, it's better to think ten times."