Alonso: McLaren Also Favourites in the Wet

The Spaniard needs to outscore Kimi Raikkonen by four points at Spa this weekend to clinch his first World Championship, but his chances look slim unless his Finnish rival is hit by further mechanical woes.

And even with predicted rain likely to diminish the speed advantage that McLaren have over Renault, Alonso still believes Raikkonen will be the man to beat.

"I think always when we talk about wet conditions it seems as though the cars are more similar and the car becomes less competitive if it is good and more competitive if it is bad," he said. "This is not really true. We never saw a Minardi win a wet Grand Prix.

"The good cars are still good cars and the McLaren for sure in the wet conditions will be very quick."

Alonso also thinks that the wet weather could make life very difficult for the men battling it out for the World Championship - especially because neither man can really afford to make a mistake and not finish the race.

"It is more risky for everybody because the car becomes a little bit difficult to drive and it is easy to make mistakes, go off the track and finish your race.

"This risk is the same for the McLarens and for everybody. McLaren must finish the race and I must finish the race, so we are in the same situation."

And although some believe the Belgian Grand Prix may have to be abandoned if the weather does not improve, Alonso thinks that the weekend will progress as normal whatever happens.

"It was my first time in the rain this year because we are not allowed to test more than 30 days, so every test session it rains we save that day to do another session somewhere else.

"For Fisichella and for me it will be the first laps in the rain. It is the same for everybody.

"Tomorrow in the two free practice we will have time to run, but today it was not possible because there was too much water on the straights and too much aquaplaning. Tomorrow if it is wet in the morning for sure the teams will have to test something, so we will run. We will be ready for qualifying and the race."