Murray: Predictions for 2006? - don't ask me!

by Rob Wilkins

Murray Walker has said that Formula One will be 'enormously interesting, exciting and totally unpredictable' in 2006, when Renault ace Fernando Alonso will be out to retain his crown.

Speaking exclusively to Crash.net Radio, 'The Voice' added that he would be extremely surprised if Ferrari struggled again.

"The prospects are enormously exciting," said Murray, when asked about how he felt the 2006 F1 season would shape up, "First of all, everybody is going to be in new motor cars because they are all going to be using 2.4 litre V8 engines, except Toro Rosso [formerly Minardi].

"Ferrari will get it right next year, because Bridgestone are back at what they are doing best - that is three sprint races as opposed to one long race with tyres being allowed to be changed again.

"Michael Schumacher will be very hungry to prove that he is still the best, as, in my opinion, he is.

"But then you have got [Fernando] Alonso, you've got [Kimi] Raikkonen, you've got Jenson Button, you've got [Juan Pablo] Montoya - they are all potential winners. They are all starting off in new motor cars. There is going to be a lot of change in terms of different teams using different tyres. Is the Cosworth engine going to be good enough? I think it is. How is [Jacques] Villeneuve going to go in a motor car that, hopefully, will better than he has had in the past?

"I think it is going to be an enormously interesting, exciting and totally unpredictable season, which is why, unusually, I am not prepared to make any forecasts."

Pressed on whether he thought Alonso could successfully defend his title, Murray added that, while he could see that happening, it would 'depend on how good the Renault is.'

"Let us not forget either," he added, "that Kimi Raikkonen only got beaten by a hair's breath [in 2005], and it depends on how good the new Mercedes engine is and how good the new revised McLaren is [in comparision to what Renault do].

"Montoya will be anxious to show he can beat Raikkonen, not only regularly, but enough to win the world championship as well.

"So the prospects really are terrific and it really is impossible to say what is going to happen."