Jules Bianchi said he was capable of lapping quicker in qualifying despite claiming the highest ever qualifying position for Marussia.
Bianchi will start from 12th position after claiming a place in Q2 during the rain-hot qualifying hour.
“After our first points in Monaco, it’s great that we have now achieved the team’s best ever qualifying result,” he said.
“Today’s situation was not easy and so this result is down to a combination of great strategy, judging the changing conditions to perfection and then just making the most of the windows we had out on the track when the conditions were right for the tyres.
“It was a real gamble, but we had everything to gain from taking some risks, so for the last run we put the slicks on even though the track was right at the limit.”
Bianchi lost his final attempt to improve after Esteban Gutierrez crashed at Luffied.
“I had a really good lap and then the yellow flags came out for Gutierrez’s spin,” he said. “Had we not encountered these I could have improved for sure and who knows what might have happened then.”
His team mate Max Chilton qualified 13th but will start 18th after being given a five-place penalty for a gearbox change.
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Image © Marussia
Liam McShane (@)
5th July 2014, 16:45
Bit awkward to find the Marussia was the highest Ferrari powered car on the grid.
BasCB (@bascb)
6th July 2014, 10:27
Wow, only noticed that now you mention it. Shocker
matiascasali (@matiascasali)
5th July 2014, 16:46
maybe it’s a little misleading the track position due the rain and all, but i see in bianchi some near future ferrari material..
Breno (@austus)
5th July 2014, 18:42
I expect him in the car either replacing Raikkonen in 2016 or Alonso in 2017.
Spencer Ward (@)
6th July 2014, 4:56
Either him or Marciello.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
5th July 2014, 17:10
He definetly could have improved.
Who knows? had he gone through, he could’ve surprised many ! considering how mad that last bit of Q3 was…
Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
6th July 2014, 0:26
I could easily see him starting from 6th given different circumstances at the end of Q2…
Michael Brown
5th July 2014, 17:24
He was about 3 tenths away from Q3
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
5th July 2014, 17:27
Is that still Chilton’s best starting positon ever despite the penalty?
Rob (@dprince)
5th July 2014, 17:58
Not at all, he qualified 16th in Belgium last year, 17th in Australia this year and 18th in Austria.
Rob (@dprince)
5th July 2014, 18:00
Austria should be Spain :)
Craig Woollard (@craig-o)
5th July 2014, 17:59
I don’t think so, he started pretty high up at Spa, P15 maybe
Chris (@cgturbo)
5th July 2014, 18:04
It’s a shame that his 13th was tainted by the gearbox penalty… Those small steps forward keep on coming.
Though being over a second slower than Jules is still a bit steep.
Captain Shuntalot (@f1withmyson)
6th July 2014, 6:23
Well done! I rate Bianchi quite highly.