Italian Grand Prix 2014: B/R Experts Predict Pole, Race Winner and More

The summer break is over, and the title run-in to the 2014 Formula One continues with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

The iconic circuit is the last stop in Europe before the Asian swing starts, and the power demands of the circuit should in theory favour Mercedes.

But all eyes will be on Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg after their clash in Belgium effectively ended the Brit's race and hurt the German's result and reputation.

Can they avoid incident in Italy, or will we see more fireworks?

Here are our best guesses as to how the race will play out:  

Mark Patterson: Predicting Hamilton or Rosberg to win this weekend makes sense, but the last two races have shown there are too many variables and tensions to make it a safe bet. You'd expect the two to be on their best behaviour, so how about engine trouble to scupper the duo's race to the line? Daniel Ricciardo, of Italian descent, a better bet than Fernando Alonso to pounce.

Oliver Harden: After being crucified from all angles since the Belgian Grand Prix, hurling around Monza at over 200 mph will be the kind of relaxation that Nico Rosberg needs. Lewis Hamilton's lost running on Friday will harm his chances, allowing Rosberg to "prove a point" in the best possible way.

Matthew Walthert: I was planning to pick someone other than Hamilton this week, but he has to win again eventually. The fallout from Spa means we should see a clean battle between the Mercs on Sunday, and Rosberg has yet to prove he can beat Hamilton in a straight fight. Someone else will snag the fastest lap late in the race, as the Silver Arrows are cruising to their first one-two finish since Austria—why not Bottas?

Neil James: Predicting a trouble-free weekend for Lewis Hamilton is like predicting an Ivor Novello award for Justin Bieber, but that's what I'm going for. The worm has to turn sooner or later, and this is as good a time as any—pole and the race win for the title-chaser, with the fastest lap for the championship leader.

Bob Margolis: This is the race that Ferrari has been waiting for, for obvious reasons. The Bickerson Brothers—Nico and Lewis—will find a new way to cancel each other out. This opens the door for a battle between the two Ferrari drivers, with Alonso victorious. No, this isn't some dream I've had. It's just probability.

B/R Expert Picks: Italian GP

Columnist	Mark Patterson	Oliver Harden	Matthew Walthert	Neil James	Bob Margolis
Pole Position	Nico Rosberg	Nico Rosberg	Nico Rosberg	Lewis Hamilton	Nico Rosberg
Race Winner	Daniel Ricciardo	Nico Rosberg	Lewis Hamilton	Lewis Hamilton	Fernando Alonso
Fastest Lap	Nico Rosberg	Nico Rosberg	Valtteri Bottas	Nico Rosberg	Lewis Hamilton
Top Team	Red Bull	Mercedes	Mercedes	Mercedes	Ferrari
Number of Finishers	18	15	16	16	17

Adam Pretty/Getty Images

Here's how we did at Spa-Francorchamps, and what the results of the race did to our scores so far this season: 

B/R Expert Picks: After Belgian GP

Columnist	Mark Patterson	Oliver Harden	Matthew Walthert	Neil James	Bob Margolis	RESULT
Pole Position	Lewis Hamilton	Lewis Hamilton	Lewis Hamilton	Lewis Hamilton	Lewis Hamilton	Nico Rosberg
Race Winner	Lewis Hamilton	Nico Rosberg	Lewis Hamilton	Lewis Hamilton	Lewis Hamilton	Daniel Ricciardo
Fastest Lap	Valtteri Bottas	Lewis Hamilton	Valtteri Bottas	Lewis Hamilton	Nico Rosberg	Nico Rosberg
Top Team	Mercedes	Mercedes	Mercedes	Mercedes	Mercedes	Red Bull
Number of Finishers	16	17	16	17	15	17
Belgium Points	1	2	1	1	2
Points This Season	29	29	27	27	-

How the Scores Are Calculated

The right answer earns you one point, except in the case of total finishers, where you can be two cars either side. However, if you predict the exact correct number of finishers, you pick up two points.

Feel free to play along in the comments to see how you fare against our predictions.