The sixth Grand Prix of the season gets underway next weekend and this time around it comes from Monaco.

This race is considered one of the most famous on the circuit and is one that all drivers are always desperate to win.

Last time out the Spanish Grand Prix produces a surprise winner when Williams driver Pasto Maldonado came out on top. Fernando Alonso was second and Kimi Raikkonen came in third.

Alonso’s runner up position put him joint top of the Drivers Championship with Sebastian Vettel. Both have won one race so far this season.

Lewis Hamilton saw himself move down to third current standings after finishing in eighth last time out. Hamilton was however handed a penalty which saw him start at the back of the grid in Barcelona.

The Englishman is yet to win a race this campaign and has not finished on the podium in the last two races.

Red Bull- Renault are the team leading the way in the Constructor Championship with drivers Vettel and Mark Webber sitting in first and fifth respectively. McLaren currently sit in second and will be looking for big performances from Hamilton and Jenson Button this time out.

Red Bull will also go into this race with confidence that their drivers can produce the goods here as they have been winners in the last two Grand Prix’s in Monaco.

McLaren do have the history in this race, winning on 15 previous occasions, however they have not won since Lewis Hamilton came out on top back in 2008.

This year’s competition is wide open yet again with lots of drivers feeling confident they can take the title come the end of the season. With this being the sixth Grand Prix out of the 20 taking place, the campaign is well and truly underway.

Race Winner

Despite not winning a race so far this year, Lewis Hamilton is still the favourite to come out on top here. You can back him at 4.50 (7/2) with BetFred.

Hamilton’s biggest threat looks to come from current champion Sebastian Vettel, the German is available at 6.00 (5/1) with Bet365.

Winning Car

McLaren were winners of this Grand Prix back in 2008 and 2009 and they are being offered at 3.00 (2/1) with SkyBet for one of Hamilton or Button to win in Monaco.

Vettel and Webber’s Red Bull team have won the last two meeting here, they have odds 4.33 (10/3) with Paddy Power on a third successive win.

Recommended Bet

We were given a bit of a surprise last time out with the Maldonado winning the Spanish Grand Prix. A recommended bet is for another outsider to come out on top. You can back Mark Webber at 21.00 (20/1) with Ladbrokes.

The Copa del Rey final takes place this weekend from Madrid when Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao go head to head for the famous trophy.

With both sides set in their ways of playing fast flowing, attacking football, it should be a fantastic encounter.

Barcelona will be desperate to add to silverware to the cabinet this campaign after they finished second to local rivals Real Madrid in La Liga. They also could only make the semi-finals of the Champions League so this is their only chance to lift a trophy.

Pep Guardiola will be taking charge of his last game at the helm of the club after stating he will take a years sabbatical from the game at the end of the season.

Guardiola will now be looking to end his incredible career at the Nou Camp with a win and a trophy to go out on a high.

In terms of Barcelona’s form in the Cup so far, they have beaten both Real Madrid and Valencia in their journey to the final so have certainly not had an easy run in.

As for Athletic Bilbao, they will be looking to bounce back after their defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final last week where they lost 3-0.

Bilbao are in a poor run of form at the moment, without a win in five matches over all competitions, failing to score a goal which is extremely surprising given their attacking style of play.

The club from the Basque country have however, been extremely impressive in the Copa del Rey this season. They have needed a replay just once in the competition, other than that it have been fairly plain sailing.

Fernando Llorente has led the line brilliantly for his side this campaign and has scored 28 goals in total, including four in his last two in the cup.

Match Odds

Barcelona are red hot favourites to lift the trophy after 90 minutes in Madrid. You can back them at 1.36 (4/11) with BlueSQ.

Athletic Bilbao know they will have to pull of one of the shocks of the season to be victorious in normal time. Paddy Power are offering odds as long as 9.00 (8/1) on a win for Bilbao. A draw and the game going to extra time is available at 5.50 (9/2) with Bet365.

Correct Score

Barcelona were 2-0 winners of this fixture last time out. A repeat result is being offered at 8.50 (15/2) with William Hill.

Recommended Bet

Bilbao will certainly be looking to come out and attack early on. A recommended bet is for them to be winning at half time but for Barcelona to win the match at the end of 90 minutes. You can back this at 21.00 (20/1) with BoyleSports.

It will be one of the biggest games of the Championship season when Reading travel to West Ham on Saturday.

With Southampton leading the way in the Championship, and on an almost unstoppable surge towards the title, this game is set to have massive repercussions.

For much of the season, it looked almost inevitable that the Hammers would finish in the top two places, with their expensively assembled squad, but a post Christmas surge from Reading has seen them become a genuine contender, as they now occupy second place.

One of the main concerns for the Hammers will be their performances at home in the league this season. There have been a significant number of games which they have dominated but somehow been unable to take the three points from.

Their recent 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough was a prime example of that, and it led many fans to boo them off the pitch at the end.

Reading, meanwhile, have been on a remarkable run of form that saw them record nine consecutive wins in the Championship until very recently. Their unbeaten run extended even further until they were the shock victims of a 3-1 defeat to Peterborough just a couple of weeks ago.

Overall, there have not been many meetings between these two sides down the years, with the two enjoying their first ever Premier League meeting back in 2006.

On that occasion Reading ran out 1-0 winners, but it was the way they completed the double over the Hammers that got people talking, as they romped to a 6-0 win at the Madejski.

In total, the two have met nine times in the league, and Reading have had the upper hand. The Royals have won five of the meetings, while West Ham have collected three victories.

Match Odds

The fact that they are at home means West Ham go into this game as favourites. Bet365 price them at 2.10 (11/10) to come out of this with the three points.

A draw is priced at 3.25 (9/4) with BetFred, while a Reading win is priced at the same odds with VC Bet.

Recommended Bet

This is always likely to be a close game, but one thing the bookmakers appear to have missed is the inconsistency of West Ham at home.

Sam Allardyce’s men have picked up just nine wins at Upton Park all season, whilst they have also fallen to defeats on three occasions. It is the number of draws that have affected them most, however, with seven of them being more than double what leaders Southampton have been involved in.

Do not rule out an away win, with the recommended bet being for Reading beat the Hammers 2-1 at odds of 11.00 (10/1) with SkyBet.

Newcastle will be looking to extend the gap between them and Liverpool to 11 points when the welcome Kenny Dalglish’s men to St James’ Park on Sunday.

It seems quite remarkable that just 14 months after selling Andy Carroll to Liverpool for £35 million, Newcastle are so far ahead of them in the table.

That is points-wise, at least. Newcastle find themselves in sixth place in the Premier League, one place ahead of their big spending opponents.

Whilst much of that could be down to the fact that Liverpool have massively underachieved in the Premier League this season, it must not be forgotten what an incredible job Alan Pardew has done with the club.

For much of his time in charge he has been forced to cut the wage bill and sell star players, with Carroll being joined by Joey Barton, Jose Enrique and Kevin Nolan in the exodus.

But Pardew has been shrewd in the transfer market. Whilst generating big fees for the players he has sold, the likes of Yohan Cabaye, Chiek Tiote, Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse and Hatem Ben Arfa have all shone, despite arriving for comparatively smaller sums of money.

With eight games of the season remaining, Newcastle find themselves just five points adrift of fourth placed Tottenham, and some of their more optimistic fans will now be no doubt dreaming of a Champions’ League finish this campaign.

Indeed, it does not seem totally out of the question, but if they truly believe they are now of that level, games at home a team in seventh are ones they know they must win.

There has been a long and dramatic history between Newcastle and Liverpool, with many players having played for both clubs. Furthermore, there is the unmissable connection in the dugout – Kenny Dalglish used to manage the Magpies himself.

In 151 league meetings between the sides, Liverpool have had the upper hand over the years, wining 73, drawing 37 and losing 41.

When they met earlier in the season at Anfield, it was Liverpool who came out on top, winning 3-1 thanks to two goals from former Newcastle forward Craig Bellamy and one from the returning Steven Gerrard.

Match Odds

Despite form suggesting otherwise, the bookmakers have Liverpool as the favourites going into this one, with SkyBet offering 2.38 (11/8) that they will win.

Newcastle are not far behind, however, with Betfair offering odds of 3.00 (2/1) on them taking the points, while the draw is the outsider at 3.20 (11/5) with BlueSQ.

First Goal Scorer

Newcastle’s Demba Ba is the favourite to opening the scoring, with BoyleSports offering 6.00 (5/1) on him doing just that.

Luis Suarez of Liverpool is available at 7.00 (6/1) with SportingBet, alongside opponent Pappis Cisse, who is 7.00 (6/1)  with William Hill.

You can get odds of 8.00 (7/1) on Andy Carroll opening the scoring with VC Bet, while Craig Bellamy is priced at 4.00 (15/2) with StanJames.

Recommended Bet

Although most bookmakers will have you believe this is going to be an away win, Newcastle would be a wise bet to avenge the 3-1 defeat from Anfield earlier in the season.

The recommended bet is for Newcastle to win this one 3-1, with 888Sport offering the longest odds at 29.00 (28/1).

Sebastian Vettel has long since wrapped up the world title for the second year running in utterly emphatic fashion, leaving the small matter of four world champions scrapping it out for the places he has left behind.

Lewis Hamilton picked up a much needed win in the last race in Abu Dhabi to put what he called a “growing” season behind him, although others including Felipe Massa may opt for an altogether different word to describe the Briton’s error-strewn campaign.

Hamilton of course has fond memories of Interlagos, claiming his world title there in the most dramatic of fashions. Massa thought he had the 2008 title wrapped up when he crossed the line in first in front of a frenzied home crowd only for Hamilton, needing to finish 5^th or higher in order to claim his own maiden crown but languishing in 6^th before passing Toyota’s Timo Glock going into the final straight to break Massa’s and all of Brazil’s hearts.

Of course for the McLaren man to claim another South American win he must first get past the imposing Vettel, who aside from his retirement in Abu Dhabi has enjoyed one of the most consistently brilliant seasons ever recorded in the sport’s history.

The German wrapped the title up in Japan and to add to his eer growing collections of trophies and record, he now has the record for most pole positions in a season after securing pole for Sunday.

Vettel moved to 15 poles in a season one ahead of the former Williams man, although the Briton achieved it in fewer races.

Mark Webber made it a happy end to the season for Red Bull all round as the Australian nicked in ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button who secured third place, while Hamilton’s hopes for back to back wins were dealt a blow as he was knocked down into fourth place.

Interlagos has a reputation for being a drivers favourite given the history of the track, but that doesn’t mean that over taking will be plentiful.

Of course, the DRS zone will have something to say about that, but as Webber highlighted this week the famous Senna S provides at least one spot where passing should be in abundance thanks to the slipstream on offer from the car ahead.

Race Winner

Sebastian Vettel’s pole of course puts him at the front of the marker for race winner, although as we saw in Abu Dhabi, he is not guaranteed a result.

The German is 1.73 (8/11) to pick up yet another win this season withSkyBet, while closely behind him is his team-mate Mark Webber at 6.00 (5/1) with BWIN.

Both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton are 7.00 (6/1) and 8.50 (15/2) respectively with VC Bet, while Fernando Alonso, who qualified in 5^th, is 17.00 (16/1) with BetFred.

Top 3 finish

There has been little variation in the top three this season, with Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari establishing something of a monopoly on the podium meaning there is little value in backing either of these three.

Fernando Alonso may be your best bet if you want to stick with any of those teams, with the Spaniard at 2.63 (13/8) with BetFred.

Nico Rosberg has looked quick in Brazil and is 26.00 (25/1) with BoyleSports, while Felipe Massa is 15.00 (14/1) with BetFred to claim his first podium of the season.

Recommended Bets

Top 3 Finish: Fernando Alonso, 2.63 (13/8) BetFred

Winning Car: McLaren, 3.50 (5/2) StanJames

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel has already demonstrated his sensational driving ability as the German became the youngest ever double world champion back in the Japanese race, leaving his team-mate Mark Webber and three world champions scrapping it out for second place.

McLaren’s Jenson Button is currently in possession of the 2^nd place spot after an excellent 2^nd place at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix last month behind Vettel, with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso 13 points further back in 3^rd place while Webber is 19 behind the Briton with Lewis Hamilton’s woeful season encapsulated by the fact he is 38 points behind his team mate.

Hamilton was in the wars once more in India as he collided with Felipe Massa yet again to cause the pair’s rivalry to come to the boil again.

The pair have a chequered history having come together in Monaco, Singapore and India to name but a few, and with both drivers under pressure from the excellent results from their team-mates, they’ll look to keep their noses clean and get some much needed points.

Further down the grid the battle of the midfield is perhaps the most interesting left undecided, with Torro Rosso developing at a rate of knots to claim the initiative in the race for extra money, sponsorship and kudos.

Red Bull’s sister team, Sauber and Force India are all scrapping it out for the right to be crowned formula 1’s unofficial 6^th team behind Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault, and most of the smart money has gone on Torro Rosso after their dramatic upturn in fortunes of late. Both Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari made it into the top ten in qualifying for the Indian race, with Alguersuari claiming 8^th place to move his side level on 41 points with Sauber, ten points behind Force India in the constructor’s championship.

Red Bull have had a monopoly on the top step of the podium since its introduction in 2010, with Vettel claiming victory twice in the two races held at the Yas Marina circuit so far. Few would bet against the Milton Keynes-based outfit for victory again this weekend with the layout of the track expected to play to their strengths, while Vettel will look to draw level with Nigel Mansell’s record of 14 pole positions in one season.

Race Winner

Red Bull have already claimed the record for most pole positions for a team in one season this year and will look to end a season of almost complete domination in a similar manner to the way it began.

Sebastian Vettel has won five of the last six Grand Prix  and goes into the race as favourite for yet another win, with the German 1.83 (5/6) with BetFred.

Jenson Button has proved himself to be the only driver on the grid that is capable of keeping Vettel in his sights, and with McLaren’s improved form of late it is no wonder the 2009 champion is second favourite at 6.50 (11/2) with SportingBet.

Fernando Alonso is also worth considering at 10.00 (9/1) with Paddy Power, while Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton 9.00 (8/1) and 6.50 (11/2) with SportingBet respectively.

Top 3 finish

While there have been relatively few surprises in the top three this season, that could all change in Abu Dhabi as the midfield press forward for valuable points.

Mercedes haven’t gotten on the podium since their arrival in the sport for the 2010 season, but Michael Schumacher in particular with his fifth place finish in India, and the German in temptingly priced at 26.00 (25/1) with BWIN to make the top three.

His team-mate Nico Rosberg is 19.00 (18/1) with BoyleSports, while another of the outsiders, Felipe Massa, is 12.00 (11/1) with Bet365.

Recommended bets

Pole Position , Lewis Hamilton: 5.50 (9/2) Paddy Power

Points Finish, Sebastien Buemi: 2.50 (6/4) Paddy Power

The 2011 Formula 1 season heads to Korea this weekend following a short break following the Japanese Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel will be looking to regain his focus after securing his second consecutive Formula 1 title in Japan last weekend.

The German managed third position at Suzuka and this was enough to become the youngest ever double World Champion, despite Jenson Button winning the race.

The fact that the driver’s title has been wrapped up doesn’t take anything away from the competitive edge in Korea this weekend.

First of all, Red Bull still need to tie up the constructor title and secondly all of the drivers on the grid will be determined to finish the 2011 season strongly.

There is no way any of the top teams will take their foot off the gas. Red Bull will want to complete these last four races in style, McLaren will want to continue their fine recent form and Ferrari would love to build some momentum ahead of a better year in 2012.

In practice this morning for the Korean Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button led the way in damp conditions and this has been a regular occurrence of late.

McLaren have consistently shown good pace and they will aim to secure their first pole position of the 2011 season tomorrow in qualifying.

Then, in Button, they have a man in the form of his life. He may have one the title in 2009, but he has never been more respected than right now.

His win in Japan marked his fifth podium finish in succession and there is no doubt he will be gunning for success again.

Then, Hamilton – who has had a frustrating year to say the least – would love a place on the podium to create some more positive headlines about his aggressive driving.

Vettel and Mark Webber will then look to have a successful weekend to ensure Red Bull are celebrating come the end of the race.

Ferrari duo Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa have a lot to prove too, so there are plenty of interesting issues to keep an eye on this weekend.

Supported by a passionate Korean crowd, all drivers are going to be going full throttle and it could be extremely entertaining.

Pole position

You will not be surprised to hear that Sebastian Vettel is favourite for his 15th pole positon of 2011. The German can be backed at 1.73 (8/11) with@ Bet365 , while Lewis Hamilton – after showing great pace in practice this morning – is second favourite at odds of 5.00 (4/1).

Hamilton’s team-mate Jenson Button is next in line at 6.00 (5/1) with BlueSQ followed by Red Bull’s Mark Webber and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.

An outside bet could be Mercedes man Michael Schumacher. Lots of people believe he has at least one podium finish in him this year and he is 101.00 (100/1) for pole position tomorrow.

Race winner

As you may expect, a similar group are up there with the Formula 1 odds to win the Korean Grand Prix. Vettel is favourite at  2.50 (6/4), followed by his nearest rival in the drivers standings Button at 4.00 (3/1).

Hamilton and Alonso are next in line, ahead of Webber who hasn’t won a Grand Prix in 2011. The Australian is 11.00 (10/1) with SportingBet to break this duck.

Beyond the leading candidates, Felipe Massa, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg are the only men given a slight chance although they are better off being backed in the podium finish market.

Recommend bets

Jenson Button to secure pole position @ 6.00 (5/1)

Mark Webber to win the Korean Grand Prix @ 11.00 (10/1)

Summer signing Joey Barton led the way against Wolves, scoring one and driving his team onto a 3-0 victory that signified a new ear at Loftus Road with new owners at the helm, and the former Newcastle midfielder will be keen to do something similar in front of his home fans this week.

McLeish meanwhile knew he would have a tough job on his hands winning over the Villa faithful having arrived from rivals Birmingham over the summer, but the Scot could hardly have envisaged being booed by his own fans after being knocked out of the Carling Cup by Bolton – the first defeat of McLeish’s reign – despite an excellent start to the season which has left Villa in 6^th place after five games.

QPR boss Neil Warnock will be hoping to name the same side that put three past Wolves, with new signings Barton and Shawn Wright-Philips expected to start while former Blackpool striker DJ Campbell may have to make do with a spot on the bench despite finding the net at Molineux.

Danny Gabbidon was considered a doubt for the game having picked up a knock against Wolves but appears to have shaken it off and should start, but Kieron Dyer and Rob Hulse will miss the game through injury.

Despite the unrest amongst the Villa faithful McLeish’s side remain unbeaten in the Premier League , and could move into the top four with a win on Sunday.

Jermaine Jenas could be in line to make his debut for the Villains having overcome a muscle strain that has delayed the England internationals first appearance for his new club since he completed his loan move from Tottenham Hotspur before the summer transfer window slammed shut.

McLeish will have real worries about leading striker Darren Bent, who is rated only as 50/50 for the game with a groin strain he picked up in the lacklustre defeat against Bolton in mid-week.

The former Spurs striker was forced to defend himself after newspaper reports suggested he had criticised McLeish’s tactics for the Carling Cup tie, insisting he had been misquoted, and he will go in search of doing his talking where he does it best on Sunday if he gets the chance – in front of goal.

Match Winner

QPR are buoyant after their win last week, and with a whole host of new arrivals over the summer bedding in excellently, Warnock will be delighted with the shape his team is in after a tricky start after early season defeats to Bolton, Wigan and Rochdale, and bookies are backing the good vibes to carry them through to victory.

The home side are the slight favourites for this game in front of a home crowd, with Ladbrokes offering 2.38 (11/8) on the Super Hoops picking up all three points for the second game running.

Villa will be quietly confident of upsetting the odds, and could be worth backing with William Hill, who are offering 3.40 (12/5) on an away win.

Anytime Goal Scorer

Having displayed his natural knack for finding the net over the past decade or so it comes as no surprise that the England international is the favourite to score on Sunday – @ Bet365are offering 3.00 (2/1) on Bent as an anytime goal scorer.

DJ Campbell is also tipped as a goal scorer with Paddy Power offering 3.10 (21/10), but it may be worth backing Wright-Philips to find the net after the former Manchester City winger’s electric start to his career at Loftus Road. Despite not finding the net yet he has looked dangerous near goal, and could break his duck this weekend, withBet365 offering 5.00 (4/1).

Recommended bets

Shaun Wright-Philips anytime scorer: Bet365 5.00 (4/1)

Correct Score -QPR 2-1 Aston Villa: 9.50 (17/2) SkyBet

And he has the chance to do it at one of the most visually spectacular races of the season – the Singapore night race.

Vettel has utterly dominated the sport this year, picking up eight wins, ten pole positions and only once finishing outside the top three, a run that has left him 112 points clear of nearest championship rival Fernando Alonso.

With 150 points still up for grabs the German could still be stopped, but more likely he will wrap up the championship this weekend if he claims another victory, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso finishes fourth or lower and Jenson Button and Mark Webber finish outside the top two.

With five races remaining after this weekend,  that result would mean that Vettel would wrap up the championship in the quickest time in terms of races left since Michael Schumacher who did it with six races still to go.

Unfortunately for the chasing pack, that seems the most likely outcome with the characteristics Marina Bay circuit expected to play right to his strengths.

The street circuit is slow, twisting but offers its fair share of downforce, perfect for the Red Bull which has a lower top speed but can maintain incredible speed in corners.

Vettel has excelled at street circuits this year, winning in slightly controversial fashion at the Monaco Grand Prix as well as the European race in Valencia, while a slip up in Canada deprived him of a third win on the street circuits, forcing him to settle for a lowly 2^nd place.

While Red Bull are the favourites to emerge victorious this weekend, Ferrari and McLaren will be pushing as hard as ever to match the runaway leaders in both the drivers and constructors championships.

Alonso in particular will be confident of picking up some serious points this weekend after winning in Singapore 12 months ago, although he will be keen to avoid talk of the controversial 2008 race where his then team Renault, were found guilty of ordering team-mate Nelson Piquet to crash deliberately in order to help the Spaniard go on and win the race.

Both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, victor in 2009, have spent most of the season slugging it out for supremacy and are expected to go at it again this weekend, with team principal promising not only to let them race for the rest of the season but also guaranteeing they will have the pace to go for the win.

Race Winner

Red Bull have dominated all of the slower races this season and there is no reason to suggest that will change this weekend. Vettel is the heavy favourite for the race, with @ BlueSQ offering odds of 5/4 on the German taking the chequered flag.

Vettel’s team-mate Mark Webber remains the only driver of the top five who hasn’t won a race this season, and yet somehow the Australian sits third in the drivers’ championship thanks to some consistent results throughout the season. He’s at 10.00 (9/1) with @ SportingBet, while Alonso, who has won two of the three races held in Singapore since its reintroduction in 2008 is 6.00 (5/1) for the win with @ BetFred.

Top 3 finish

While the “big three” remain a step ahead of the rest of the grid this season, the last few races have seen Mercedes take giant leaps forward and start matching and even beating the likes of McLaren for pace. While the slow Singapore circuit will not suit them as much as previous races,  @ VC Bet’s offer of 11.00 (10/1) on Nico Rosberg and 17.00 (16/1) on Michael Schumacher making the podium may well be worth your time.

Lewis Hamilton has endured a frustrating season so far but has fond memories of Singapore having won there in 2009, and would dearly love to at least make the podium this weekend, and at 1.73 (8/11) with @ BoyleSports he could be worth backing.

Recommended Bet

Mark Webber to win: 10.00 (9/1) @ SportingBet

Lewis Hamilton on pole: 6.00 (5/1) @ BetFred

The 2011 Formula 1 season heads to Monza this weekend and it is Sebastian Vettel that is expected to lead the way once again.

The German has already secured pole position – his 10th of the season – as he finished half a second clear of his nearest rival Lewis Hamilton.

It was a truly breathtaking performance from the Red Bull man and has led many to conclude that he cannot be touched in tomorrow’s race.

However, Jenson Button – who will start in third position – mentioned that qualifying isn’t as important as it used to be at the Italian Grand Prix.

History suggests that the man on pole will usually go onto win the race, but as Button mentions, DRS could play its part in ensuring there is at least some overtaking.

The McLaren duo will enjoy chasing Vettel after all. Sometimes it suits drivers to be in second or third position and this could be the case tomorrow.

Hamilton will attack Vettel from the very first corner of course, while Button will look to use his experience to at least challenge from the winning.

Beyond the top three there is plenty of talking points too. Mark Webber would have been disappointed with his qualifying session after he finished fifth fastest.

The Australian has proved that he can work his way up the grid though, so don’t rule out a podium finish for him.

Ferrari duo Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa have plenty of pressure on their shoulders too.

Whenever Ferrari are in Monza, the pressure is on. They were well below the pace in qualifying and will need to improve if they are to have any hopes of a podium finish.

So, it is very much the usual suspects at the top of the grid for tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix.

As ever though, plenty could happen with the chasing pack attempting to match Championship leader Vettel once again.

Race odds

You will not be surprised to hear that Sebastian Vettel is the favourite to win Sunday’s race. He is available at 2.25 (5/4) with SkyBet while Lewis Hamilton is second favourite at 3.75 (11/4).

If you are looking to back someone from beyond the current top three, Alonso is your best bet. He will want to turn on the style at Monza and can be backed at 7.00 (6/1) SkyBet for what would be a much talked about win.

Top three drivers

Backing a winner may be too predictable to get decent profit, so why not choose who you think can make it to the podium?

Plenty of drivers have moved through the grid from afar to the podium this year and the best shout at the Italian Grand Prix to do this has to be Mark Webber.

He will start in fifth position, but you can back him to finish in the top three at 2.75 (7/4) with SkyBet. Then, if you fancy going completely obsure, Michael Schumacher can be backed for his first podium finish of the season at 17.00 (16/1).

Recommended bet

Lewis Hamilton to win @ 3.75 (11/4)

Mark Webber to reach the podium @ 2.75 (7/4)

Fernando Alonso to achieve the fastest lap of the day @ 6.00 (5/1) @ VC Bet