Fernando Alonso believes that Ferrari's performance in Canada will be an indicator as to whether or not they will challenge for the remainder of the season.
In a result few would have expected, Alonso's consistency sees him lead the Championship after six races, despite Ferrari often being off the pace and openly stating their unhappiness with the F2012, particularly in the early stages of the season.
The Spaniard admits that it is quite an achievement to be at the front of the pack at this stage, but that this is not when being at the top really matters.
"Leading the championship is only the beginning, it's a starting point, because the ultimate target is leading the championship after the final race in Brazil in November," Alonso told Ferrari's official website.
"It's a long championship and the first six races brought us enough points to be in the lead, but we are well aware that we have to improve. We need to make the car faster, working hard, while making no mistakes and finding consistency, which is not the easiest thing to do in this championship."
Ferrari head to Canada having made some improvements to the F2012, and Alonso believes that how the car performs in Montreal will not only be important for the race but that it will also lay down a marker for where the team stands for the remainder of the season.
"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 explained.
"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 first six races, predicting the outcome of the next race is a bit of a lottery, but Alonso sees no reason why it can't be Ferrari who lead the way.
"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," asserted the former World Champion.
"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."
