Source: McLaren Media Centre

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Alonso: It means nothing to finish best of the rest

Alonso: "It means nothing" to finish best of the rest

11-10-2018 14:50
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Nicolás Quarles van Ufford

McLaren driver Fernando Alonso thinks that it means nothing to finish 'best of the rest' in the drivers' championship, even though the Spaniard is close to being that as he is just three points behind the current P7-holder Sergio Pérez.

Alonso has only managed one points finished in the last five Grands Prix (in Singapore), which has resulted in him dropping to P10 in the standings. P7 is a three-way tie right now between Perez, Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen. The Mexican is in P7 as he managed the highest placed finish in a race out of the three (P3 in Baku).

As for the McLaren driver, who will be retiring from F1 at the end of the season, he is just focussed on bringing points home for McLaren rather than for himself.

“It means nothing to finish seventh in the championship - there is no point to have any plan for that,” the two-time champion told Crash.net.

“My only plan is to finish in the constructors’ championship as high as possible with McLaren.

"We have now a strong position,” he said referring to McLaren's current sixth place in the standings with a 15-point advantage over seventh-placed Force India.

“We have maybe no hope to catch Renault and Haas, but the gap between us and Force India and Sauber is reducing every race, because they are very strong now.

“We will not let them catch us before Abu Dhabi, so that’s my main focus - the drivers’ championship, really not too interested.”

McLaren will certainly not be moving up the championship table any time soon, as Haas in fifth have a 26-point advantage over the papaya-orange cars. P6 is the best-case scenario, although Force India will likely catch the team before the end of the season.