Although, at first glance, the GP2 Series championship appears to be a two-horse race between
Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi, the intrigue runs deeper, with a number of contenders lurking in the wings.
And, as last year's Monza visit proved, anyone can win, with outsider Giorgio Pantano claiming a rare double success that left title contenders Nelson Piquet Jr and
Lewis Hamilton fighting over scraps.
Three rounds and 60 points are all that remain on the schedule but, with di Grassi and Glock both taking victories two weeks ago in Istanbul, the rivals are now split by just two points. However, Luca Filippi, Pantano and rookie
Kazuki Nakajima all sit within 30 points of the championship lead, and everyone down to 18th-placed Xandi Negrao could still leap to the top of the chart with a maximum score between now and the end in Valencia - although it would take happenings of extremely bizarre proportions for that to happen.
While di Grassi has been the most consistent driver of the season, Glock has often held an advantage with qualifying and race pace. Things really are too close to call, though, and, just as with
Heikki Kovalainen and
Nico Rosberg in 2005, and Piquet and Hamilton in 2006, the season appears poised to close on a cliff-hanger.
Of course, there is still a long way to go before Valencia, with Spa-Francorchamps to come next weekend, and things could change drastically in that time.
La Pista Magica at Monza provided the backdrop to Hamilton's title last season, and there is always an air of expectation hanging around the
Autodromo Nazionale, with the
tifosi knowledgeable and passionate about GP2 as well as
F1 and one of the finest circuits in the world allowing the cars and drivers to stretch their legs.
