Piquet: Germany podium changes nothing

The Brazilian benefited from the timing of a safety car period at Hockenheim to take the runner's up spot last weekend.

And although the result eases pressure on the Brazilian, who endured a difficult start to his F1 career, he says it will not change anything for him on the track.

"The performance is the same before and after," he told autosport.com. "Obviously each race I am learning a bit more, but if the car broke down two laps to the end then nobody would have said anything - they would say Nelson hadn't improved and nothing would have changed.

"So it is a bit stupid to say things have changed because I was a bit lucky. Everyone thinks I've changed and become a good driver, but these things don't happen."

Despite his feelings about the impact the result will have on him, Piquet does concede that the podium will change people's opinions on him.

"Obviously I was a bit lucky Sunday but it is always good to finish on the podium in my rookie year," he said. "Many drivers have not done that, but I want more than that. I also think we can do more, so it is good.

"Obviously at the end of the day, the numbers on paper that count are the points and the podiums. It doesn't matter if you are very lucky or unlucky; people just look at the numbers. So from that point of view it was good."