Mark Webber has described the penalty he received for running onto the Singapore circuit to catch a lift from Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso ‘comical’.
The Australian was reprimanded for his actions. This being his third of the season, he was handed an automatic 10-place grid penalty for the next event.
Taking to Twitter, he wrote: “For @alo_oficial [Alonso] and me to receive reprimands for our actions after the race it is comical to say the least.
“Great moment, and fans loved it.”
He also denied he had been advised not to enter the track by the marshals, despite the stewards report saying he was – though it’s believed he never heard the orders over the noise of the cars.
“And while I’m at it, contrary to reports, there was no interaction at all with any track officials after we put the fire out.”
Alonso was also reprimanded and whilst both drivers mocked the penalty, FIA steward Derek Warwick was keen to clarify the penalty wasn’t for the ride, but the manner in which Webber entered the circuit and Alonso stopped.
“It is not health and safety gone mad,” said Warwick who himself did the same when he was a driver.
“A driver could easily have been hurt. I hope we’re not seen as killjoys.
“I want Formula 1 to be entertaining. I want it to be a spectacle,” he added.
“If it had been done in a safer manner then it might have been viewed differently, but this was potentially very dangerous.
“You can’t have cars parked in the middle of a corner.”