Mark Webber has hit out at
Formula One's safety car regulations after seeing Nelson Piquet secure his maiden F1 podium in the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.
Rookie driver Piquet started the race down in 17th place on the grid, with
Renault electing to run the Brazilian on a one-stop strategy. His pit-stop then worked perfectly alongside the safety car period following
Timo Glock's accident to allow Piquet to suddenly jump up the order into a podium position which he held to the flag to secure his first podium finish in
F1.
However, Webber said that he felt the manner in which Piquet had secured his place on the rostrum was an indicator of the ‘amateurish' nature of the current safety car regulations with the Renault man having started near the back and then taken a place on the podium despite hardly making any overtaking moves during the race.
"The safety car threw up a bizarre result and I think the rules are a joke," the straight-talking Australian said in his latest column for
BBC Sport. "I was happy for Piquet that he finished second, given the start to the season he has had, but F1 is more professional and better than the rules we have for the safety car at the moment.
"It looks very amateurish when the guy who nearly wins the race starts 17th and only overtakes one car,
Kazuki Nakajima's
Williams, because he spun. For me, that is not what Formula One is all about.
"Nelson would be the first to agree that it was not a fully deserved second place. None of the drivers like the current system - we don't like to get flukey results. The teams and the
FIA are trying to find a better way with the safety car, but they are making heavy weather of it."
Webber added that his frustration was increased by the fact that the 'fluke' result for Piquet has lifted Renault right back into contention for fourth place in the constructors' championship in what is now a three-way battle including
Toyota for the position.
