Bruno Senna believes he 'should have won' the GP2 title had it not been for some bad luck that prevented him from scoring to his full potential.

The Brazilian was in with a shout of the championship until the final round at Monza, but a haul of just four points was not enough to overhaul new title winner Giorgio Pantano.

Although he managed to resist the advances of the in-form Lucas di Grassi to secure the runners-up spot, Senna still finished 12 points behind Pantano in the overall standings.

Even so, Senna is convinced he could have won the title had he not been caught out by some bad luck, including his drive-thru penalty at Spa. Nonetheless, he thinks second place in the standings has proved his worth for a move up to the premier series in 2009.

“Given where I started I had to be aggressive – although the tricky conditions didn't really favour such an approach,” Senna said, speaking after the first race. “Our car was good no matter whether it was wet or dry, so I was as bold as I felt I could be without risking any silly mistakes.

“The decision to stop for slicks paid off, but it was very slippery when I first rejoined. The fact I made the change early enabled me to build up tyre pressures and temperatures before anyone else, though, and several cars were easy prey when they came back out just ahead of me.

“The move on Grosjean was worth the risk, because I knew I needed a couple more points to keep the title race alive. I genuinely believe we should have won this championship, but one or two bits of bad luck have made the difference.

“I'm proud of the work the team and I have done this year. I knew I would be in a position to challenge for the title, despite my relative experience, and I think my results speak for themselves.”