Q&A: Jacques Laffite - EXCLUSIVE.

by Russell Atkins

Six-time grand prix winner Jacques Laffite is one of the most successful French drivers in the history of the top flight, and as such perfectly-placed to cast his eye over this year's Formula 1 crop. He certainly likes what he sees.

The former Ligier and Williams star now commentates on the sport for French TV, and looking ahead to the new campaign, which gets underway in Melbourne in a little under two weeks' time, he is convinced there will be thrills and spills aplenty. Here the 63-year-old explains why he believes Formula 1 is in for its most exciting and unpredictable campaign in years...

Q:
Jacques, what do you think we have to look forward to in Formula 1 in 2007?

Jacques Laffite:
I think we will have a fantastic season. First of all we now have the same tyre manufacturer for all the teams, which will change a lot of things. Nobody will be able to complain 'my tyres are not as good as the others' anymore. There are also a lot of young new drivers coming in, like Heikki Kovalainen, Nelson Piquet Jnr, Robert Kubica, Lewis Hamilton and so on. I think it will be one of the best seasons for a long time.

Q:
You mentioned the tyre scenario. Do you think having just the sole supplier will make the sport more competitive now?

JL:
Yes. The tyre situation is very important. The deal as I understand it is to give the same tyres to everybody. I also heard they will oblige teams to run a soft compound for one stint in the race, which I think is ridiculous, but I do think more teams will have the opportunity to be competitive now they are all on the same tyres. There are no excuses now; the difference will come from the drivers, the car's set-up and performance and its reliability.

I'm sure we will have a fantastic season. I think it will be difficult for one team to win every weekend. There is a chance maybe for wins from Toyota, Honda, Renault, McLaren and Ferrari for sure, and Williams with the Toyota engine. It will be very good for the people watching on TV, with a lot of stories about the young and old drivers. I'm very excited about it.

Q:
As you say there have been a lot of changes over the winter months, particularly amongst the drivers. Renault won the world championship in both of the past two years, but they don't have Fernando Alonso at the team anymore. How much of an impact do you think that will have?

JL:
The team won for two years with Alonso, but their success was not down to just him. For sure he was very important for the team, as a focus for all their efforts, but like both Flavio Briatore and Alain Dassas have said, the team remains the team. The same people are still there. If they have made a good car then they will take their opportunities.

I'm sure Giancarlo Fisichella will be much better than he has been for the past two years. He was really dominated by Alonso and it was difficult for him, but I believe he is really good and I hope he will prove it this year. In Kovalainen he has a very good, quick and competitive team-mate. Maybe it will take Renault one or two races, but ultimately they are a winning team and they will stay that way. They are accustomed to success now and that will continue I'm sure.

Q:
How do you think Alonso will fare at McLaren, a team that for the first time in ten years didn't win a race last season..?

JL:
That's a problem for Alonso, but I appreciate the fact he has gone there and is trying to do something about it. It will be difficult for him, but McLaren is a big team and very strong together with Mercedes. The people are all working very hard. Fernando is arriving in a team that for the first time in a long time did not win a race all year, but he came with two world titles and he will give the mechanics, engineers and everyone else in the team a big impetus to improve. When a team is winning it's not only the team; a big part of the success comes from the driver. For me the most important thing in a team is the driver. I'm sure McLaren made a very good choice in Fernando and I'm sure they will be very happy with him.

Q:
Probably the biggest difference in 2007 will be the fact Michael Schumacher is no longer on the starting grid. How much will he be missed within the sport?

JL:
I think everybody will miss him, especially the spectators and people watching on TV, but it has given all these young drivers the chance to shine now. It's a big change for Formula 1. I think people will be very interested in the show - it's a good opportunity for the sport to make itself stronger. We will miss Michael for sure, but I'm sure we will still see him at Ferrari a lot.

Q:
How about Kimi Raikkonen, the man who has taken Schumacher's place at Ferrari? He is undoubtedly very quick, but some argue he just doesn't work hard enough. What are your views on Kimi?

JL:
If you ask me who will be world champion this year I will tell you it will be Kimi. I think after Fernando and Michael he is one of the quickest drivers out there. He will have a big fight with Fernando this year, and nor should we forget Felipe Massa, who was so quick last year. Ferrari will be a good challenge for Kimi, but he is a fantastic driver and has a really good chance.

Q:
Do you see any other teams springing surprises during the campaign? Honda, maybe, or Red Bull Racing?

JL:
There are plenty of teams I believe can win this year. Williams, Toyota, Honda, even Super Aguri can be up there. I'm sure there will be a lot of chances to see many teams winning this year.