Formula One Is Go! Go! Go!

Renault chief Flavio Briatore believes the 2007 World Championship will be fiercely competitive as his team begins its quest for a third consecutive world title at Melbourne on Sunday.

“It looks tough,'' Briatore told XPRESS. “It looks difficult, like every time. In Formula One, you have the best people in the world and we are fighting to be the best.''

Renault won both the drivers' and constructors' titles in 2005 and 2006, but that was with Fernando Alonso behind the wheel. The Spaniard will be racing for McLaren Mercedes this year but Briatore has already turned the page. “We have Heikki [Kovalainen] who is a very young driver with a lot of experience and a lot of talent, so I'm positive,'' said Briatore.

Who are Renault's main rivals? “The usual people,'' he said. “Ferrari, McLaren, maybe Toyota, maybe Honda. For sure, this year will be between three or four drivers.''

Missing will be seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, who retired last season after rising to fame under the tutelage of Briatore at Benetton. Can he be replaced?

“Absolutely! It was the same with Nigel Mansell. Michael has done incredible things, but now the future is with the current people.''

World Champion Heralds New Era

Champion Fernando Alonso aims to begin his McLaren career with a win on Sunday in the Australian Grand Prix.

Alonso has moved from champions Renault to success-starved McLaren while the man he replaces, Finnish ‘Iceman' Kimi Raikkonen, has gone to Ferrari as successor to the departed Michael Schumacher.

The 25-year-old Spaniard won in Melbourne last year, but is refusing to make any predictions this time.

“I'm optimistic and confident that we can have a good result. But the first race is always different, anything can happen,'' Alonso said. “We normally see some surprising results, so you never know; you definitely cannot make any predictions.''

- Reuters

Aguri Chief Attacks Spyker Sniping

Formula One tail-enders Super Aguri have accused rivals of scaring off potential sponsors of the team, by casting doubt on the legality of their new car.

The Honda-backed team unveiled their controversial SA07 car yesterday without a title sponsor.

Team Managing Director Daniele Audetto said: “It is difficult to get sponsors for a new team and it makes it even more difficult when you write and declare in the newspapers that you are not legal, that you cannot start the championship.''

Spyker team boss Colin Kolles has threatened legal action against Super Aguri to try and prevent them from racing what he believes is little more than a developed version of last year's race-winning Honda. Formula One rules say teams must design and build their own cars.

- Reuters