Monza is totally unique among Formula 1 tracks, so the performance pattern seen elsewhere may not translate to this famous old circuit.

The Autodromo demands a totally different aero map to the other 18 venues on the calendar, one of trimmed wing settings to take advantage of the long straights, while a forgiving set-up is necessary to ride the kerbs.

This really should be McLaren territory, so it's disappointing that the best price on Lewis Hamilton to achieve back-to-back victories is only 2.62.

Anything approaching 3.50 would be silver bet territory but the available odds are still tempting enough to recommend a solid bet.

The key to McLaren's advantage here is its aerodynamic efficiency - the way it cuts through the air with the minimum of drag.

The Red Bull is clearly the fastest car at the majority of tracks due to the amount of downforce it creates, but downforce is much less of an issue at Monza.

We saw at Spa that even though Red Bull took off more wing than McLaren - reducing the car's downforce to achieve a greater top-speed advantage - their drivers were still slower than their counterparts through the flat-out first and third sectors. 

This doesn't bode well for their chances this weekend given that all the teams will pare their wings to the maximum in a search for maximum efficiency.

Unfortunately the bookies recognise that the Red Bulls should be in for a tough weekend, with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber both available at around the 5.00 mark with Hamilton a best price of 2.62.

Nevertheless, we'll take the almost triple-your-money odds on the favourite because if there was ever a track suited to the McLaren, this is it. 

Further down the list the 6.50 on Adrian Sutil to finish on the podium looks worthy of investigation.

The German finished fourth last year, setting the race's fastest lap, and his Spa form suggests he can go even better in the slippery Force India.

He's in with a chance of repeating his qualifying effort from 2009, when he was only denied pole position by a great lap from Hamilton

Ladbrokes initially went up at 40.00 on Sutil to take pole position which would have been a terrific each-way shout but the revised 25s is still bordering on acceptable.

The place terms of one-fifth for the first three places make him 5.00 to qualify in the first three.

Finally the odds of 6.00 on veteran Rubens Barrichello to finish in the top six look too long.

We expect McLaren and Ferrari to fight it out at the front with Sutil and Renault's Robert Kubica battling with the Red Bulls for the big points finishes.

But Williams should also go well at this track and the Brazilian should be well inside the top eight at a track at which he won superbly last year.

The circuit's characteristics could produce an unusual grid so the likes of Sutil and Barrichello could well find themselves ahead of some of the championship challengers.

PICKS:
Lewis Hamilton to win at 2.62 (Bet365)
Adrian Sutil to qualify fastest at 15.00 (Bwin)
Sutil to finish on the podium at 6.50 (Bet365)
Rubens Barrichello to finish in the top six at 6.00 (Ladbrokes)