Alonso not worried by fifth row start

Just like his championship rival Jenson Button, the Spaniard was caught out by rain late in Q3 after saving his only set of fresh option tyres for the his final run.

However, the two-time world champion believes that this has not provided any extra cause for concern.

"We made it into Q3, but we had only one set of new tyres and saved them for the end because we thought it was the best moment," he said. "I can't be pleased with the result, but at least this is a track where grid position is less critical than others; both because of the track characteristics itself and because the weather can do anything."

Alonso said that he had no worries about the performance of his Ferrari, despite winding up on the fifth row.

"We have never been P10 [at any point] this weekend," he added. "This is nothing to do with the performance of the car. It's the weather. The aim for the race remains the same. Maybe to win it, maybe to be on the podium. We will see."