Alonso looking to convert P9 quali into points

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Fernando Alonso deemed himself happy with ninth on tomorrow's Abu Dhabi grid, the McLaren driver achieving his seventh top 10 qualifying this season and his first since Singapore.

Like his peers, Alonso admitted conditions were difficult with falling temperatures between the afternoon and the evening posing an inevitable challenge. But in the end, the Spaniard was satisfied with his performance.

"I think we can be happy, it was definitely a good qualifying for us," said Alonso.

"The conditions were difficult, because you test on a hot track and then you go to qualifying and everything has changed.

"So you need to anticipate that and make set-up changes working blind because you don't know what the conditions will be later on.

"But everything worked fine, the car felt competitive so I think being in the top 10 for the last race of the year is a plus, and hopefully we can score some points."

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Alonso will be starting just in front of Williams' Felipe Massa, his direct rival in the drivers' standings, with the two men separated by just two points in the championship.

A state of affairs which promises a good battle between the two men on Sunday but which left the Spaniard fairly indifferent about the outcome.

"I don't think the points difference is important. We both fought for championships in the past, but I don't think we'll remember this year because of that.

"We'll try to move forward tomorrow. It's an interesting group between Williams, McLaren, Haas and Renault with the race pace quite similar, so hopefully we'll stay in front of all those cars."

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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.