• Monaco Grand Prix - Qualifying

Schumacher 'will try to make the most' of grid position

Michael Schumacher: "I benefited a little from the circumstances" © Getty Images

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• Race:
• Monaco Grand Prix

• Championship:
• FIA Formula One World Championship

• Drivers:
• Michael Schumacher

• Teams:
• Mercedes

Michael Schumacher has admitted he probably gained a couple of grid positions as a result of Sergio Perez's qualifying crash in Monaco.

Schumacher will start the race from fifth position, his best qualifying result of the year, after Perez's accident prevented Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg from setting times on their first run. Schumacher said the events had helped him and he would look to take full advantage of the better starting position on Sunday.

"I benefited a little from the circumstances and probably P7 on the grid would have been more realistic," he said. "Having said that, our car looks better in race trim this weekend, so with another good start, I will try to make the most out of it.

"Overtaking is known to be more difficult here than at most other circuits, so it will come down to having the right strategy, especially because the tyres should last longer than in recent races and we can expect fewer stops. I think it will be an exciting race."

The Perez incident happened at exactly the same spot Karl Wendlinger crashed during practice for the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix. Also driving for Sauber, Wendlinger was in a coma for several weeks and Schumacher said the comparison between the two accidents was proof safety has improved in F1.

"First of all, I am happy to hear that Sergio seems to be well, which is obviously the most important news," he said. "The incident reminded me a lot of what happened to Karl Wendlinger in 1994 and it shows the quality of the safety improvements the FIA have implemented since then, especially the side impact tests."

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