Sunday 25 May at 11:29 : The specialist on-site weather service, Meteo France, is telling its client formula one teams of a 70 per cent chance of rain for Sunday's Monaco grand prix.

There is also likely to be rain before the start of the race, raising the probability of a wet track for the treacherous run to the first corner at 2pm local.

"Hopefully I can stay on the track!" Renault's Fernando Alonso enthused to the newspaper AS.

On Friday, the former double world champion said he was hoping for a dry race, but - to start from seventh on the grid - he now sees the likely rain as an opportunity.

"I have nothing to lose, I'm not fighting for the championship and so I am happier with the rain than some of the others, because it's a lottery," Alonso said.

Sunday would be the first wet Monte Carlo race since 1997.