If drama is what you need, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza has always been more than able to supply it, even if sometimes it meant witnessing tragedy. Although severely emaciated since its glory years, the circuit still has a torrid reputation and must be treated with the utmost respect.

In this morning's final practice session, Lewis Hamilton pipped Fernando Alonso by just one-thousandth of a second, heading into qualifying just how much more drama can you handle.

Well, if that isn't enough, the top fourteen were covered by 0.985 with the leading six separated by just 0.458.

A late charge saw Paul di Resta go third however, an overnight gearbox change means the Scot will forfeit five grid places following today's session.

Not to be outdone, Hamilton and Alonso's teammates, Felipe Massa and Jenson Button, were on the pace, the pair finishing fifth and sixth. The Englishman, who won last time out, appeared to have a technical issue late in the session which could account for his failure to finish higher.

Nico Rosberg was sixth quickest on what was a difficult morning for Mercedes, Michael Schumacher having to spend much of the hour without KERS having yesterday suffered a DRS failure.

If it was a mixed morning for Mercedes it was truly disappointing for Red Bull, Mark Webber and Sebastian finishing eleventh and twelfth, the German suffering a late electrical issue which caused him to pull off track.

With little difference between the two compounds yesterday, the medium rubber was clearly quicker this morning and the gap should widen further over the next hour.

Of the rest, Kimi Raikkonen was up there but somehow the Lotus doesn't look convincing here, though full credit Jerome d'Ambrosio for the speed with which he has got to grips with the car.

With his teammate facing a five-place drop, Nico Hulkenberg will seek to further establish himself within Force India, the German still on a high from his superb performance in Spa.

Williams made an improvement this morning, and while Bruno Senna spent much of the session gesticulating at rivals, Pastor Maldonado - sporting the words 'less trouble more speed' in his helmet kept his head down and got on with the job.

Still hurting from the nightmare of Spa, Sauber is keen to make amends, and Sergio Perez' seventh this morning must give the popular Swiss outfit hope. Surprising however that teammate Kamui Kobayashi was so far off the pace. That said, even though he was fifteenth, he was only 1.111s off Hamilton's best, clear proof of how close it really is this season.