We returned from the summer break anticipating great things for Spa, and it perhaps under-delivered. I'm not sure what the expectations are for Italy, but if it's for a highly-charged emotional and historical atmosphere, then we're probably on course for success. With Ferrari keen to do exceptionally well in front of the home fans, the pressure is on for everyone to do their best.

Event schedule

Sebastian Vettel took another worryingly dominant victory in Spa, and he'll push hard for another this weekend. His teammate for 2014 has finally been confirmed as Daniel Ricciardo, and the Australian is going to want to make waves at Monza, just as his future garage-mate did in 2008. Meanwhile, McLaren have been celebrating their 50th anniversary (the actual one, not the whole year), as well as being distracted by the premiere for the Rush movie, so what can they offer this weekend?

Some of the teams lower down the speed chain were boosted by a great qualifying performance in Belgium. The weather conditions don't suggest we'll see a repeat of that this Saturday, but with a bit of a boost for morale and the knowledge that they are capable of getting out of Q1 when luck is with them, we might see something better from Caterham and Marussia.

Support racing for this event includes GP2, GP3 and Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

The weather

There's potential for more weather-watching this weekend, as a bit of rain could be hovering over the circuit on Friday. It's even more likely to drop on the track itself on Sunday, whilst qualifying day is looking dry and sunny for now. The temperatures look reasonable, neither too high or too low, which is important given the high speeds at Monza.

Circuit map

The FIA are continuing with two DRS zones in Italy, after having the exact same two areas designated for open rear wings last season. They have, mysteriously, swapped round though, with DRS1 from last year, becoming DRS2 this time. Nevertheless, the first zone comes halfway round the lap with activation on the long straight between turns 7 and 8.

The second detection zone is at the start of Parabolica, with a good exit from that corner absolutely crucial to make the most of the second activation down the start/finish straight.

The circuit

Racing around Monza is fast and furious, as the track is not concerned with those little things that get in the way, such as corners. Boasting just eight turns, top speeds can reach anywhere around 340km/h, with the average hovering somewhere around 230km/h.

With long straights, halted only by the occasional chicane, getting great top speed is the most important factor when it comes to securing a fast lap around the Autodromo. The chicanes can’t be underestimated, few as they are, as they introduce an important obstacle towards getting a good time.

The track is also a truly testing time for engines, with the high speeds really showing up the difference between engines. Here, Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault, and Cosworth will be hoping for good reliability, particularly as drivers head ever closer to the limit of their engine allowance.

Tyre compounds

For the second race in a row, we've got the hard compounds in action - the orange sidewalls. Alongside them, the medium compounds return for another weekend of work, the white sidewalls very likely to make an appearance over the weekend. Of course we could also see the green and blue of intermediates and wets respectively, we really haven't seen a lot of them so far during races this year!

It’s very easy to see why the place has been called ‘the temple of speed’: it’s actually the quickest circuit that we go to all year, and the long straights and fast corners put plenty of energy through the tyres. This means that overheating and blistering can be a problem if not controlled. So correct tyre management can have a very important effect on the race and the strategy

- Paul Hembery

Press conference schedule

Official press conferences are organised by the FIA and happen four times during the weekend. The qualifying and post race press conferences will take place after the television unilateral interviews.

Race stewards

The FIA stewarding process was changed recently to include a former F1 driver to offer added insight. These are the stewards overseeing this weekend's action.