The Belgian Grand Prix is a tough act to follow, and it falls to Monza to try and stand up to the challenge set by Spa. The championship battle is hotting up, and the development race is on. Friday has never been so important, and this is the first chance to get a feeling of the conditions.

Weather update

To completely contrast with the previous race, the weather forecast for the entire weekend in Italy looks to be sunny, if a little cooler than any visiting tourists might hope. There have been some rain storms this past week, but it appears as though these have cleared and are not expected to make a return.

One to watch

I need you all to keep an eye on Felipe Massa, because as an excuse for overshooting his grid slot at Spa, he reckons he's too short.

I'm maybe the lowest driver in the car, I'm very low in the car and maybe if I was a bit higher, it would be easier to see. Definitely I couldn't see the lines very well, so I was a little bit outside, and that was it.

- Felipe Massa

This seems like such a weird excuse because it doesn't explain how he's managed at all the other races this year, or why he's never made any mention of this before. Also, is he the shortest guy out there? I haven't heard anyone else complaining. Anyway, please keep your eyes peeled for how he fits in the car and whether he can see over the steering wheel or not.

Predictions please

Who will be the first driver out of the pit lane in the morning? Which driver will complete the most laps? Who will be the fastest? Will Toro Rosso introduce their new f-duct, and how will it work for them?