by Rob Wilkins


The dust may have only just started to settle on the 2006 season, but since the chequered flag fell on the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos on October 22, all thoughts have turned to 2007. 2007 promises to be a very different year - if only, because the man who has dominated the sport for so long, a certain Michael Schumacher, will no longer be competing and out on the race track.

Here Crash.net columnist Mark Blundell puts on his thinking cap, grabs his crystal ball and gives us his thoughts on just what might happen in the coming year...



Q:
Mark, what do you think we can expect in 2007?

Mark Blundell:
I believe we are going to have a good season. We have got a control tyre and in some ways that will make it easier to compare the performance of car, driver and engine packages as there is a common denominator between all of them.

I think we will see the birth of some new superstars with some credible results coming out of them, with the likes of Robert Kubica and maybe people like Lewis Hamilton stepping up the plate and giving us something to cheer about.

There are a lot of new team-driver packages for '07 as well and that has a level of excitement attached to it. Will Fernando Alonso make it work at McLaren? Will McLaren supply him with something to get the job done? Will Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen gel and go off into the distance?

Anthony Davidson is coming out of a test role after some five years too: does he have what it takes to go and race - because testing is one thing and racing is another. We saw his grand prix debut [with Minardi back in 2002] and it didn't go according to plan, but will he actually step up and deliver as well?

So there are many new questions to be answered and I think with '07 coming along with the tyre and the controlled engine side of things, we may have as good a base line to start a year off as we have seen for a long time. That is going to produce better racing and hopefully some different results. One thing is for sure, we won't have any results with Michael Schumacher at the top of the list, because that is not going to be anymore. So that is the end of that, but as I say, new stars are coming.

Q:
How much are we going to miss Michael Schumacher and does his exit mean 2007 will be even more open?

MB:
It will make it open in many ways. Open on the circuit because there will be one less guy with the level of ability and resource to take top results. It will also be open as there will be one guy who is not going to be in the F1 arena, who has such a big history behind him that he swamps the rest of the pit lane. It just opens up F1 a little bit more.

That is not to say it is a good or bad thing, it is just a change. I think, everyone at this point now, is quite looking forward to that and there is some excitement to see what does come out.

Q:
Can Renault continue to maintain their form in light of the fact Giancarlo Fisichella will be leading the team?

MB: