Ferrari sensation Fernando Alonso believes it is important for him to grab the maximum points haul at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix in Monza if he is to stay in touch with those at the top of the Formula One drivers' championship.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton leads the way with Red Bull's Mark Webber just three points behind and, with six races remaining, Alonso trails in fifth place by a massive 41 points.

"There is no point denying the fact this is a tricky moment of the season for us," Alonso wrote on the Ferrari website.

"In Monza, if we do not pick up a significant number of points and our competitors get the maximum and pull away in the lead, then the situation in the classification would become very difficult.

"I'm not saying it would be impossible to reach our target, because that kind of talk does not exist in F1, but we are aware of the situation and we are ready to react to any eventuality."

Meanwhile, team-mate Felipe Massa added: "It is obvious that the 14th race of the year will be very important for the Scuderia, not just because of it being the home race, but also because of the current situation in the championship."

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