British racer Will Stevens believes Jules Bianchi's points-scoring finish at last year's Monaco Grand Prix was integral to Manor's survival in Formula One.
Bianchi, who succumbed to the devastating injuries he sustained at the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday night, finished ninth after a quite superb drive at the principality to help the team secure £40million in prize money.
And while the British-based team entered into administration shortly after Bianchi's crash in October, they re-branded from Marussia to Manor on the eve of the new season and have taken part at every race, bar the season opener in Australia, this term.
"The difference that Jules made last year in Monaco is absolutely key to us still being here, so I don't think there is a single member of the team who underestimates everything he did," Stevens said.
"For everyone here it has been a very difficult week, but it is one of those things that, as a team, we have to deal with and move forward."
Bianchi's death has cast a long shadow over this week's Hungarian Grand Prix in the soaring Budapest heat.
The Frenchman, whose funeral took place in his home city of Nice on Tuesday, became the first driver since Ayrton Senna in 1994 to die as a result of injuries sustained during a grand prix weekend.
Bianchi slid off the wet Suzuka track and crashed into a recovery vehicle deployed to collect Adrian Sutil's stricken Sauber which had spun one lap previously.
He never regained conciousness and his death was confirmed in the early hours of Saturday morning.
"As a sport it has been a very long time since something like this has happened so it is hard for all the drivers," Stevens, 24, added.
"We need to carry on racing and I am sure Jules would want that as well. Every lap we do, Jules will be in our thoughts.
"The weekend is clearly going to be tough, but as a team we have to move forward and I think it is important that we do that."
Source: PA
