Mat Coch writes:

After dominating the Belgian Grand Prix, McLaren has high hopes of a repeat performance heading in to the Italian round of the championship this weekend. However, a strong race at the low downforce Spa-Francorchamps circuit last time out doesn't guarantee a strong performance at Monza, according to team Sporting Director Sam Michael.

"Monza is obviously a little bit lower drag than Spa," explained Michael during the latest Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Phone-In. "Although the drag level is similar Spa is a very different circuit because you have two low drag sectors, sectors 1 and 3, and then you have a maximum downforce sector, sector two.

"Monza's not like that," he continued. "The only place you want maximum downforce at Monza are the two Lesmos, the rest is low drag so therefore you end up on low draft because that's how you get the fastest time around here.

"So only on the basis that we're in a similar lift to drag area, the tyres are similar, then I think… I didn't know to be honest but I'm hoping, that we'll have a similar level of competitiveness."

Michael was quick to deny speculation surrounding the future of Lewis Hamilton after the Englishman was linked with a move to Mercedes as a replacement for Michael Schumacher. The rumours have been denied by both McLaren and Hamilton's own management team, Michael reiterating the team's position. "We're in advanced stages of negotiations with Lewis over a new contract," he emphasised. "Until those negotiations are completed there's nothing definitive to say about it from McLaren."

There have been suggestions that the protracted negotiations have seen Hamilton lose focus, with some citing his use of Twitter last weekend as evidence that he is not as concentrated as he should be. However Michael disagrees, claiming the 2008 world champion is as focussed and determined to win as ever.

"His goal is to be here at the Italian Grand Prix and win," said the Australian. "I think it's very independent of his contractual negotiations because contractual negotiations go on for weeks or months anyway, so our focus is on the Grand Prix and so is Lewis'."

Michael expects Hamilton and Button will both face fierce competition from Red Bull, which under-qualified in Belgium, according to the Australian. "If you look at their pace, and that Vettel can come from outside the top 10 to second and beat Raikkonen who was very competitive, that shows you that the Red Bulls actually had very good race pace but they just under-qualified," he said. "They don't normally do that. I'd expect Red Bull to be up there and fighting for the front row as well."

However the team hopes the likes of Lotus and Sauber can remain competitive both this weekend and for the rest of the season as McLaren looks to close the gap in both the drivers' and constructors' championships. Trailing Red Bull and Ferrari in both titles the Woking squad is hoping for mistakes from both teams, not to mention other teams stealing points from its rivals.

That plan has taken a knock however as Lotus has been forced to debut Jerome d'Ambrosio this weekend after Romain Grosjean was banned for triggering the first corner collision in Belgium.

Talk of McLaren's championship hopes aside the incident has triggered a number of discussions relating to driver safety and car design, including enclosing cockpits. "If you look at drivers now compared to twenty years ago he's significantly better shielded," Michael argued. "It was a conscious effort from the (Technical Working) Group to improve that, however we do realise there's things to look at and potential areas to improve.

"Formula One is an open wheel, open cockpit formula. I would say that it's extremely unlikely that that would change however there have been investigations going on in the background.

"We, within the FIA institute, looked at a full canopy probably 18 months ago," he continued. "Most of that was published in the FIA magazine about 12 months ago. I think it concluded that that was probably not the way to go forward for Formula One so over the last twelve months a lot of the efforts has been put in to some type of roll structure."

There is an argument that the increase in safety standards has been one of the causes for the increased number of accidents; the risk/reward equation now offering less in the way of risk. Meanwhile comparatively weak penalties have failed to dissuade drivers against making borderline moves, raising the stakes ever higher.

"At the moment the drivers that have come in to Formula One haven't grown up in that era where it was much easier to get hurt," Michael explained. "The drivers haven't grown up in an era like it was in the 60's, 70's and 80's where injuries were much more common.