Fernando Alonso 'very proud' of Jules Bianchi after first F1 points

Bianchi took advantage of rivals' mistakes and attrition to drive from the back of the grid to ninth in Sunday's race, following an overnight gearbox change after qualifying on Saturday.

The two points Bianchi earned for Marussia means fellow minnow Caterham is now the team with the most starts to its name without scoring a point in F1 history.

Marussia takes a supply of customer engines from Ferrari, as well as running Ferrari Academy graduate Bianchi in one of its cars, and works team driver Alonso said he hoped the result would help propel Bianchi further up the grid.

"It's fantastic and I am happy for him," Alonso said.

"Jules is not only a Ferrari Academy guy, he is also a friend.

"We spend a lot of time together in Maranello, we play football, we cycle, [and] we travel together for some races.

"I am extremely happy for him, [and] very proud for what this result will mean for his career.

"I have no doubts it will be a good career, but hopefully with this result he can have a more competitive car next year and show his talents even more."