Alonso: No point in chasing 2018 success

Fernando Alonso sees no reason to chase seventh place in the drivers' championship in the final races of his last Formula 1 season, saying it "means nothing" for him to be classed as the best of the rest behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull's drivers.

Alonso is 10th in the championship, with Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg locked on 53 points in seventh, eighth and ninth respectively.

With McLaren's form going backwards through 2018, the two-time world champion has only scored points in one of the last five races and he sees no reason to bend his back in an attempt to overhaul those near him.

"It means nothing to finish seventh in the championship," he said. "There is no point to have any plan for that.

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

"We have now a strong position. 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.

Day in Tokyo with @Toyota_Hybrid boys ???????????? pic.twitter.com/qNZ2VXnKqg — Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) October 10, 2018

"We will not let them catch us before Abu Dhabi, so that's my main focus. The drivers' championship, really not too interested."

Alonso says Sauber - last season's bottom team in the standings - have been able to close the gap as McLaren have barely developed their car through 2018.

"Feeling-wise, it feels good. The car it feels the same as last year. That's probably the problem," he said.

"The car is the same as last year, and 12 months later, the people make a lot of ground compared to us.

"I think we constantly see new parts to the midfield guys every weekend, because we see their cars, we see the pictures you guys take of the cars etc.

"We see always updates to everyone, and from probably Spain, we don't have any."

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