Webber urges teams to act on safety

The Grand Prix Drivers' Association held talks with team managers prior to last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix to discuss ways of improving safety, and Webber is now hoping action is taken soon.

He believes that fellow drivers should not allow the momentum behind improvement to die down - and that they would be 'stupid' to not have the situation sorted by the start of winter testing later this year.

"We need to get on with it," he said after the team manager's meeting. "Everyone agrees that we are a bit light on it, and that is a step in itself.

"I think we cannot go into November this year without improvements. The drivers would be stupid. We have to get on with it and make a stance and do it properly."   

Webber wants the teams to begin working in co-operation with the FIA to achieve the kind of levels of safety, specifically medical response teams, that the GPDA believe are lacking.

"I think the teams and the FIA have got to sort something out," he explained. "We are trying to be adults about it, there is a bit of a weakness and we need to get on top of it. It has gone on a little bit too long.

"We have been a bit lucky and we might be lucky for another 25 years which would be great, brilliant. But there is going to be a nasty little moment one day in November at four in the afternoon, and will the guy be alright? We don't know. That is what we are worried about."

And Webber has rejected claims by McLaren boss Ron Dennis that levels of safety at tests are at an acceptable level - and that it was impossible to guarantee the kind of coverage that there is a Grand Prix meetings.

"Every month we wait we are getting closer to that big shunt," he claimed. "That is the way it is. We have been brilliantly fortunate.

"Ron doesn't want anyone to get hurt. He has obviously got his opinion, which is fine, but my opinion is different. In racing, safety is more than adequate, it is brilliant, but at tests you just have to stop at the side of the track and see that there are just good Samaritans looking after you."

When asked whether he believed drivers would be willing to part-fund some of the necessary improvements, Webber said: "We haven't spoke about it, but I personally would be happy to do that."