Alonso gambles on wet setup for race

Fernando Alonso is likely to be praying for rain at Interlagos, having qualified eighth while carrying more downforce than his rivals. When Sunday’s race begins, team-mate Felipe Massa will be two places ahead but just one slot behind Sebastian Vettel.

“I feel good about it," Alonso told reporters. “It was just as we expected. We’ll try to achieve the podium, just as I did in Abu Dhabi and in Austin."

When asked if he is pinning his hopes on wet weather, the Spaniard replied:

“Let’s hope we see something like that. It’s difficult to change car setups now; the only thing we can change from here are minimal things, nothing major."