- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Ferrari
Alonso hopes for P11 bonus
Fernando Alonso is hoping starting from 11th place in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will turn out to be a benefit for Ferrari.
Alonso failed to qualify in the top ten for the first time this season in Abu Dhabi as he dropped out in Q2, with team-mate Felipe Massa only able to qualify in eighth. Alonso said the reasons for Ferrari's problems at Yas Marina were clear, but that he hoped being allowed a free choice of tyre strategy would prove beneficial.
"It was just general traction problems; not today but all weekend," Alonso said. "In practice we've been not so quick - both Ferraris always out of the top ten - in practice and in qualifying two we were 10th and 11th. So definitely a difficult track for us here but we'll see tomorrow how the race develops. Sometimes we've seen races where it's good to start in P11 with new tyres; hopefully tomorrow we'll see one of those."
Asked if Ferrari's long run pace was more encouraging, Alonso said he was banking on previous form ringing true again.
"Normally on Sunday we do improve our performance. There's nothing on the numbers that makes clear that tomorrow will be better, but by feeling we think that tomorrow normally is better because on Sunday we improve. We need to have a clean race; starting at the back there are more possibilities to get it wrong because you need to risk more to overtake."
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