Alonso ready for litmus test

Fernando Alonso: Thinks Canada will be an important test for Ferrari

Fernando Alonso believes this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix could be a clear indicator of whether or not Ferrari will be competitive for the rest of the season.

The Spaniard currently leads the Drivers' Championship by three points despite his team admitting that the F2012 was well off the pace at the start of the season.

Alonso dragged the below-par machinery to victory in Malaysia before more recently taking podiums in Spain and Monaco with a car that looked to have made a genuine step forward.

And now the two-times World Champion believes that Ferrari's pace in Montreal could reveal if the team has finally got on top of issues such as traction and top-speed, which have previously blunted their pace.

"I think we have improved the car in these areas since the beginning of the season and Canada will be a good test in this respect," he said.

"Hopefully this weekend we will see a competitive Ferrari and that will be very important for us, not just for this race but also for the rest of the season."

With six different winners coming from the opening six races, Alonso admits predicting who will be the victor in Canada is difficult, but he is confident Ferrari can fight it out at the front.

The double World Champion added: "It's hard to say in advance, as this season has been so unpredictable with ups and downs for everyone over the course of six races.

"However, I don't see any reason why Ferrari should not be competitive in Canada, fighting for the top places come the end of the race.

"Winning races is not easy, neither is finishing on the podium, but the important thing is to score points and find a good level of consistency."