Rain set to affect Interlagos qualifying

With the contest for the championship still closely-fought ahead of the penultimate race of the season, the five men battling it out for glory will face further headaches thanks to the rain that looks set to affect qualifying day.

After a dry first day of track action, rain struck Sao Paulo briefly on Friday night, and then returned early on Saturday morning - soaking the track before the final free practice session.

Radar predictions suggest that more rain is set to roll in through the day - which could turn the fight for crucial grid positions into a lottery.

Current forecasts suggest, however, that the rain will not be bad enough to cause any of the delays that blighted qualifying in Japan or the race in Korea.

World championship leader Fernando Alonso has admitted that bad weather would make luck a more important factor than outright speed.

"Obviously you never know in wet conditions if it is going to be good for you or bad for you, but for sure you need some luck," explained the Ferrari driver.

"The car performance and the set-up performance that can give you one or two tenths in the dry are not very representative in wet conditions. It is better to have the best tyres in the best moment on the best lap possible in qualifying. If you manage to run in that particular lap with good tyres in good conditions then maybe you can gain two or three seconds.

"So it is a matter of luck, which is part of the preparation and the speed. I am confident. I think a wet day can be an advantage for us at the moment."

Alonso reckoned the bad weather would hold no fear for him as being ahead in the title battle meant he was in a better position to play things safe.

"There is very little to lose for us at the moment," he said. "I think the other four contenders, if they do a bad qualifying, it is more a problem because they have to catch us in terms of points. So for us there is less risk."