• Canadian Grand Prix

Alonso: 'Extremely difficult' to win

Fernando Alonso says Ferrari will need to get its strategy right if it rains © Sutton Images

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• Race:
• Canadian Grand Prix

• Drivers:
• Fernando Alonso

• Teams:
• Ferrari

Fernando Alonso says he hopes to be closer to Red Bull and McLaren this weekend, but that it will still be 'extremely difficult' to win the Canadian Grand Prix.

Having led for the first part of the Spanish Grand Prix two rounds ago, Alonso ended up being lapped as Ferrari's lack of performance was exposed. In Monaco, however, he managed to fight for victory right up until the later red flag which nullified the race as leader Sebastian Vettel was able to change tyres. Alonso said that the circuit characteristics in Montreal would help Ferrari, along with the tyre compounds available, but that McLaren and Red Bull were still likely to be quicker.

"We perform a little bit better with this type of tyre, and aerodynamics are less important here because there are less high-speed corners," Alonso said. "We know from an aero point of view we are a little bit behind our main opponents and maybe here we will be a little bit closer. But cannot forget that Red Bull has been very quick in all types of circuits and McLaren has also been very quick on tracks like Monaco or Barcelona.

"I think we can be closer to them and have a chance to be on the podium or to fight, but it will be extremely difficult, as it has been in all of 2011."

With rain forecast on both Saturday and Sunday, Alonso acknowledged it wouldn't have a negative effect for him, but that the uncertainties thrown up by wet weather wouldn't necessarily play in to Ferrari's hands.

"I don't have a preference for the weather... If it's wet, for us it's not a big problem because it's not like in a normal, perfect race we will win it. That's not possible at the moment for us. So any strange factor it can help us, but we know how wet races are. It's a bit of a lottery so you need to gamble to win. If it rains we'll see if we make the right calls."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.