Alonso 'not too proud' of McLaren's 'good result' in qualifying

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Fernando Alonso says he had "bittersweet" feelings about his performance in qualifying, convinced on the one hand that his fastest lap had not been great but surprised on the other by the time it had yielded.

The McLaren driver will line up P11 on the Mexican Grand Prix grid, between Force India's Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez, the best performance by the Spaniard since Singapore.

"It was one of those days when I finished the lap and thought it was a shame because it wasn't a good lap," said Alonso.

"I had a lot of understeer with the last set of tyres and I crossed the finish line with a bittersweet taste.

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"When they told me I was P12 I was very happy because it's a very good result for us and with the Force Indias having used the tyres that in theory are for tomorrow today.

"So overall a good result, but as I said, when I crossed the finish line it was not one of those laps you are not too proud of."

Alonso believes his prospects for Sunday's race aren't looking too bad, his MCL33 showing a fairly good race pace when running heavy on fuel in free practice.

"We thought we had much better race pace, especially yesterday we saw every lap we did without traffic we were pretty fast so we are more confident for the race than for qualy," he said.

"But we are starting in a good position to score points tomorrow so hopefully we can finish the job."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.