Alonso expects unpredictable race

Ferrari driver Alonso, as well as pole-setter Lewis Hamilton, will start the race with the softer tyre compound, while Red Bull's Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, second and third today, have opted for the harder tyres.

Alonso, starting from fourth, believes the unusual situation could make for an exciting race.

"Red Bull has qualified with the harder tyres, which is something we haven't had all year," Alonso told Spanish reporters. "Hamilton and I start with the softer ones so we'll be having the opposite strategy and anything can happen in a race like that.

"For the first time I think it's not going to be a race where we start and we follow each other, we all stop over two or three laps and then the race finishes with those positions. There is going to be a bit more movement and hopefully it will be fun."

The Ferrari driver admitted he was pleased with his performance after finishing right behind the Red Bulls, and is now eyeing a podium finish.

"We are happy with our qualifying, and with how the car has worked this weekend," he said. "We've been more or less in the top three all the time.

"So we have a good feeling towards tomorrow and if someone had told us we would finish half a tenth off Red Bull in qualifying on Thursday, we'd have taken that. So it's been better than expected and tomorrow hopefully we can be on the podium."

Speaking about his chances of a podium finish, he added: "It's always possible starting among the top four or five. It's a possibility. We have the start, the strategy and a very demanding circuit.

"Starting from the top five the podium is always possible here in Canada because just by staying on track something is going to happen to the cars in front and you will benefit."