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It would be easy to assume that the 2008 season is going to be a straight fight to the death between those two F1 super-enemies, Ferrari and McLaren. Their duel in 2007 veered wildly between track and courtroom, filling front pages and back pages alike; whatever your allegiance, you can't deny it was compelling stuff.

But if we've learned anything about F1 since Schumacher cleared off, it's this: anything could happen. And this season, by our calculations, the grid is chock-full of cars that Have a Chance of Winning Races. Nine of them, at least.

Are we sure? Well there's the Fezzas and the Maccas, then there's the explosively fired-up prodigal son of Renault, a certain Mr F. Alonso, complete with twin titles, the seriously on-the-pace BMWs and Rosberg in a Williams. Where will the headlines come from?

KIMI vs LEWIS
(Reigning champion vs rookie Brit)
We're not the only ones who reckon Räikkönen will clean up again in 2008 - Kimi thinks so, too. The man's so confident, he's off down the bookies most weeks, placing a bet on himself to post the fastest lap at the next GP (which he did six times last season).

Yes, it'll be a close-run battle with Lewis, but the Iceman, pumped by title-fuelled confidence, may edge it on race wins, and we'll be a monkey's uncle if he hasn't got the title nailed by Japan on 12 October.

It's true you shouldn't read too much into pre-season testing - after all, last year's Honda was totally unstoppable until the racing started - but Kimi's Ferrari looks imperious so far. The only problem he faces is staying awake, which he almost didn't manage to do with 10 laps to go in Melbourne last year.

But what of Hamilton, the boy wonder whose headline-strewn debut year was so noisy nobody noticed Kimi easing his way to victory? Lewis will be there or thereabouts, but he remains a rookie, lacking the experience to stay out of pointless squabbles and making the odd crucial mistake. Did his car really switch itself off in Brazil last year, or did he cock something up? F1 isn't just about skill, it's about pressure, and you can't learn that in practice.

So this might be another learning year for Lewis, spent sitting just outside the championship winning door, knocking repeatedly. Next year, we believe, will be a different story. Next year will be Hamilton's year, as long as he doesn't find his new home in Switzerland so stultifyingly dull that he gives up motor racing and takes up clock-making. Or putting little holes in cheese.

CAN ALONSO REBOOT RENAULT?
(Former double champ back 'home')
Fernando Alonso's little protest at Ron Dennis after last year's summer break was hilarious, and very childish. Y'see, Ron likes his charges to be clean-shaven to the level of parody, in order that they appeal more to the blue-chip companies that do or could sponsor McLaren.

So when Fernando came back from his hols, he strode through the paddock on Thursday morning with a very deliberate beard. A beard that stayed put until qualifying was over, but then disappeared by race day. He and McLaren were never going to last.

Renault boss Flavio Briatore, on the other hand, probably encourages Fernando to grow a beard, 'cos beards are cool. Whether that will help Alonso to make their cars any faster this year is another matter entirely.

People scoffed at Alonso when he said he'd brought six-tenths of a second to McLaren during 2007 pre-season winter testing, but imagine if that's true, and he does the same at Renault? Then they'll be back to the front, battling with his old team, McLaren and his 2009 team, Ferrari...

BATTLE OF THE NUMBER TWOS
(One underdog always has its day)
The great thing about being a number two driver is that you're an underdog. So the Brits cheer every time you make a number one driver look like a dick. Who can forget Sato overtaking Alonso last year? Or Lewis doing Alonso on the first corner of his first F1 outing?

And this season has a whole host of thrilling number two drivers: Felipe Massa, Heikki Kovalainen, Nelson Piquet Jnr, Timo Glock and Robert Kubica. They are the Gooses to F1's Mavericks, and on a crazy day, any one of them has the potential to win. Kovalainen has already sent a shot across Lewis, by posting faster lap times during testing in Valencia in January, and he'll be no respecter of Lewis's status. But the Brit will relish the fight, too.

Alonso, on the other hand, will not. Once again he's landed with a quick young team-mate - Nelson Piquet Jnr - who could challenge not only his status in the team, but also his results on the track. After his various hissy fits over not getting the number one spot at McLaren last year, he's demanded Renault make Nelsinho a clear second driver. Making the Brazilian a hero among British fans, we reckon.