Helped by problems for Max Verstappen and a red flag that curtailed track action Alonso qualified second behind Sergio Perez in Florida, matching his previous best performance of the year in Jeddah.
Asked about the prospects for a victory Alonso was keen to downplay his chances.
“I don't think that we have to target a win, especially after how the weekend went,” he said.
“I think even the podium is going to be difficult, but we do our race. We've been doing this the whole season, we are in a privileged position, we never expected to be here.
“So, every lap we do, every race lap that we will do tomorrow in these kind of positions is a gift at the moment. So, I think the team is enjoying it.
"We will try to pass Checo into Turn 1, because we love to lead the race, at least for a few laps. And after that, we will end up in the position we deserve.
“If it’s P5, it’s going to be P5. If it’s P7, P7. If it’s another podium it will be fantastic. But I think it's going to be a tough race.”
Source: Autosport