Alonso targets podium despite qualifying setback

SUZUKA, Japan, Oct 7 (Reuters) Renault's Fernando Alonso refused to rule out a Japanese Grand Prix podium finish today after qualifying behind title rival Michael Schumacher.

Ferrari's Schumacher, level on points with Alonso but ahead 7-6 on race victories, can take a record eighth Formula One title at Suzuka if he wins the penultimate race of the season and the world champion fails to score.

While the German qualified on the front row, alongside team mate and pole-sitter Felipe Massa, Alonso will start in fifth place and behind an all-Toyota second row.

Both Ferrari and Toyota use Bridgestone tyres, making world champion Alonso the leading Michelin runner.

''If we finish on the podium, overtaking the Toyotas, it will be a super result for us. I think we have to be realistic,'' the Spaniard told reporters.

''In the wet maybe we have a chance, so this will be one of the better things that can happen to us. In the dry, I think a podium finish is the most we can do.'' Today's qualifying was all about tyre performance, with the Bridgestones clearly quicker over one lap but Renault and Alonso pinning their hopes on Michelin providing a better product for the race.

WRONG CALL ''It looks like they have something more than us and they took the advantage today for sure,'' said Alonso.

''Sometimes it goes our way, sometimes theirs. In China, the top 10 cars were all Michelin and only Michael. This time it is against us.'' Alonso took pole position for last weekend's Chinese Grand Prix but Schumacher, who had qualified only sixth, came through to win the race as wet conditions eased off and Alonso paid the price for a wrong tyre call at the first pitstop.

''In China everything looked so good for us, favourites and quite an easy race, and we lost the race,'' said the Renault driver.

''Ferrari looks the same here -- so easy and the favourites for tomorrow, but there are 53 laps in front of us.'' The Spaniard recalled also that the only other time Massa has started on pole position with Schumacher alongside him was in Turkey in August, when the German ended up behind him in third place.

''We believe we will be closer in the race,'' he said.

''In qualifying they looked super quick in Turkey, and in the race I finished second and Michael third.'' Renault's engineering head and chief tactician Pat Symonds said however that the key to success would be ''finding the right balance between aggression and damage limitation''.

''We are hopeful that our tyres will bring us the consistency we need in the race,'' he added.

REUTERS AB BS1606