Fernando Alonso has played down the impact of his rookie teammate Nelson Piquet's breakthrough podium in the German grand prix.

Team boss Flavio Briatore hailed the 22-year-old Brazilian's "amazing race" at Hockenheim, where the ideal timing of the mid-race safety car turned his one-stop strategy into second place at the chequered flag.

To the Spanish newspaper Diario AS, however, former world champion Alonso made clear Piquet's achievement was "down to luck".

"It was quite a bad weekend for Nelsinho, but suddenly he got a safety car on the best possible lap for him and he is on the podium.

"This is the safety car lottery," Alonso explained, insisting that the R28 is not good enough to be racing to the podium on merit.

"Without luck we can only be aiming for seventh or eighth," he added.

In the newspaper, Alonso also bemoaned the car's lack of general traction, and said the problem only has one remedy.

"Yes, wait for next year's car," he said.

Source: GMM