SEPANG, Malaysia, March 20, 2008 (AFP) - Rubens Barrichello, who accidentally ran over some of his pit crew before being disqualified after ignoring a red light at last weekend´s Australian Grand Prix, has called for improved signals in the pit lane.

The Brazilian veteran, who has been racing in Formula One since 1994, said he believed a new system of signals was required to stop drivers missing red lights that are positioned where nobody can see them.

Barrichello, 35, was fighting for a points-scoring finish in the race at Albert Park when he came in to the pits for more fuel.

He broke the regulations by pitting while the Safety Car was on the track (but needed to or he would have run out of fuel) and then compounded that problem by pulling away early when the fuel hose was still attached to his car.

That meant several of his team were sent flying as he drove off before driving straight through a red light at the end of the pit lane because he did not see it.

"I never saw a red light, nothing at all!" he said. "I will never see it and I don´t pretend to see it. They are in the wrong places and by the time you see it, it is too late. You have already gone past it.

He added: "A flag marshal at least would be better than this. Or at least a big panel, like they had at turn three where there were yellow flags. You need something huge like that.

"In the last 16 years of Formula One, I have always said that you don´t see the lights at the end of the pits. This is not the first time. It has happened to many other drivers -- Montoya, Massa and Kubica. It needs to be changed."