Alonso Just Wants to Finish at Indy

"Always in Indianapolis I never finish the race," the 23-year-old Spaniard complained at a news conference on Thursday ahead of what will be his fourth race at 'The Brickyard' circuit.

"So I hope this year to break this thing...to finish here on the podium or to finish the race will for me will be a big, big pleasure," he said.

Alonso retired with a puncture after eight laps last year and went out with a blown engine in 2003. In 2001, driving for struggling Minardi he lasted 35 laps before suffering a driveshaft failure.

Alonso has won half of this season's eight races so far but failed to finish the last Canadian Grand Prix when he hit a wall while leading.

The Spaniard has 59 points to Kimi Raikkonen's 37 with 11 Grands Prix remaining. The Finn has won three of the last four races and will be favourite to triumph again this weekend.

Because of his rare error in Montreal, ending a run of 10 races in the points, Alonso will have an unfavourable early qualifying slot on Saturday.

He said a podium finish was probably as much as he could hope for.

"A podium is a more realistic target for us, especially because we go out third, I think, in qualifying," he said. "I think to finish on the podium is a great result for us here.

"But at the same time we always approach the weekends for the victory and we have to do the maximum we can. We can have some luck and a good start, you never know."