Webber: Safety Car rules are 'a joke'

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MARK WEBBER

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Tuesday 22nd July 2008

Nelson Piquet's maiden podium finish in Germany proves that the Safety Car rules are "a joke", according to Mark Webber.

The Brazilian rookie started 17th on the grid at Hockenheim, but finished second after the Safety Car was deployed following Timo Glock's accident.

Piquet briefly lead the race, but he was eventually overhauled by Lewis Hamilton. However, the youngster managed to hold off Ferrari's Felipe Massa to claim his first podium.

Webber believes the current Safety Car rules should be changed because it provides "flukey results".

"The Safety Car threw up a bizarre result and I think the rules are a joke," he told BBC Sport.

"I was happy for Renault's Nelson 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."