Pastor Maldonado insists that Lotus can put themselves in a good position to fight for points at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix if they can improve their showing in qualifying.

The Venezuelan missed out on top-10 finish in Brazil last time out, but the former Williams driver believes that better one-lap pace next Saturday will boost his chances.

He told reporters: "I think it's crucial that we try and improve our qualifying pace because as soon as we are in the top twelve, things should be on the up and we'll be in a good position to fight for points.

"We've seen that our race pace is quite competitive so it's all about starting from the highest grid position possible. We know this is an area we need to make big strides forwards.

"It's the last race of the season so we have nothing to lose and we'll just be focusing hard on ironing out any issues with next year in mind."

Maldonado has scored just two points so far this season.