MAGNY-COURS, France, June 30 (Reuters) - McLaren's Fernando Alonso prayed for rain on Saturday after a gearbox problem in qualifying left the double world champion 10th on the French Grand Prix starting grid.
"I will pray all night and hopefully tomorrow it will be raining," the Spaniard told reporters. Forecasts suggested a downpour on Sunday was highly likely.
"If you are quick in the dry, maybe you are two tenths or three tenths quicker than the guy in front. If you are quick in the wet, maybe it is two seconds so you can recover places much quicker," he added. "So I really hope it's wet tomorrow."
Tenth was the Spaniard's lowest qualifying placing of the Formula One season and he recognised it would be a tough race with both Ferraris and his team mate Lewis Hamilton up at the sharp end of the grid.
Alonso also has a handicap to those starting immediately behind him, with his own fuel load fixed at the start of qualifying while those placed 11th and lower are allowed to go lighter or heavier.
"It will be extremely difficult tomorrow for me," he said.
"At this point I would prefer to start 11th with the free choice of fuel load. I will try to recover positions on the track because in the pitstops it will be very difficult.
"I need points but I also know that more than fifth, sixth or seventh may not be possible."
Alonso failed to set a time in the final qualifying session, returning to the pits at the end of his first lap out. He had already been sidelined by a brake sensor problem in the final free practice.
The Spaniard, 10 points adrift of championship leader Hamilton after seven races, is nine points clear of Ferrari's pole sitter Felipe Massa and 16 clear of the Brazilian's team mate Kimi Raikkonen.
However, he said there had never been any complacency.
"People seem to always forget, after we won three races in Monaco, Canada and Indianapolis, about Ferrari," said Alonso. "I was never at that stage.
"I knew they were quick and do a very good job and will always be strong. To beat Ferrari is always difficult and it will be difficult until the last race."
