There is something unique about Monza.

It's not the octane-laden atmosphere, or the sight of tens of thousands of fans creating a flowing sea of colour (admittedly, mostly red) on grandstands and grass alike.

It's not the track, no matter how many thrilling, joyous or tragic pages of the history of the sport have been written on its tarmac.

It's not the slightly melancholic feeling of the final European race of the season.

No, there's something unique about Monza, and that's the nature of the circuit itself. It's what the track embodies... in the history of motorsport, in the collective imagination of everyone connected with racing, in the very centre of the Italian psyche.

Monza is racing: it is racing at its purest, it is human and machine versus the laws of physics. It is banking so steep it's dizzying; corners that have no numbers but names; crumbling tarmac on forgotten parts of the track where you can hear echoes of Farina, Fangio, Rindt, Clark, Senna and Schumacher, heroes through the eras.

More than anywhere else, Monza evokes the gladiatorial nature of motor racing, indeed the old oval layout featuring the legendary banking last used in the early 70s for SportsCar racing even resembles ancient Rome's Circus Maximus where the finest charioteers would race.

Monza is all about superlatives, it is nicknamed the 'Temple of Speed', and for good reason, as 76% of the lap time and 83% of the lap distance are taken at full throttle - the highest of any F1 circuit.

Due to the long straights and large portion of lap spent in eighth gear, Monza is one of the lowest tracks for gear changes per lap, with only 40. The downforce level is the lowest of the year and requires a special rear wing, just for this event. There is still enough downforce to - in theory - drive a car upside down, though.

Monza has the highest average corner speed of any F1 track, with the fast Curva Grande (Turn 3) and Parabolica (Turn 11) counterbalancing the various slow chicanes that split up the long straights. The tow is massively powerful and is particularly important in qualifying, leading to battles on track to find a tow, for you don't want to be at the front of the pack, punching a hole in the air for everyone else. It can bring as much as 0.25 seconds of lap time per lap.

While the circuit has been somewhat emasculated over the years, it still remains a challenge and even though it may appear to be a track of the point and squirt variety it demands total respect and is quick to bite back should a driver fail to do so.

The circuit, located on the outskirts of Milan in the biggest walled park in Europe, has witnessed more than its fair share of tragedy over the years, indeed in 1970 it was the scene of Jochen Rindt's death, the Austrian becoming the sport's only posthumous world champion.

Mostly however, Monza is seen as the home of the tifosi, the fanatical army of fans of Ferrari, which has won the Italian Grand Prix here 19 times, started from pole position on 21 occasions and has a total of 69 podium finishes to its name.

Similar, certainly in terms of the cars being able to stretch their legs for long periods of time, to Spa, Red Bull will come to Monza feeling confident, unlike Ferrari and Mercedes.

However, one thing we have learned over the year is that Monza is always ready to spring a surprise, indeed in 2020 it was AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly who stood atop the podium, while twelve months later it was Daniel Ricciardo.

Whether the tifosi can will their beloved Ferraris on to a famous victory on Sunday remains to be seen, though whatever happens at race end the crowd will head onto the pit straight for the podium ceremony, filling the track with a sea of red.

While passion has become a buzzword in recent times, at Monza it is all around you, as is the venue's rich history.

As the sport increasingly moves towards anonymous street tracks, Monza, like Spa and Silverstone, remains one of those fabulous old school, proper racing circuits, consequently it is a favourite among the drivers who are able to push themselves and their machines to the very limit.

This year's event is extra special, for Monza is celebrating its centenary, while Ferrari celebrates 75 years since its founding and Pirelli its 150th anniversary.

While there are thunderstorms predicted for Friday, the rest of the weekend is expected to be warm and sunny, ideal conditions for out 20 gladiators.

According to Betway, the latest odds are... Max Verstappen 1.36, Leclerc 7.00, Hamilton 9.00, Russell 11.00, Perez 13.00 and Sainz 23.00.

Red Bull is 1.25 to win, while Ferrari is 5.00 and Mercedes 5.50.

Check out our Thursday gallery from Monza here.