> Jarno Trulli: Ferrari still favourite

Toyota’s Jarno Trulli believes that the departures of Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn will not hurt Ferrari's chances of winning in 2007.

The Maranello squad will start next season without seven-time world champion Schumacher and technical director Brawn for the first time in over a decade – a period that saw the team rewrite the Formula 1 record books with 11 world titles.

But despite the dawn of a new era which sees the arrival of Kimi Raikkonen and a technical and managerial restructure, Trulli is convinced that Ferrari still starts next season as title favourite after it won seven of 2006’s final nine races.

“Whoever drives for them will have a big advantage," he told Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

"I don't think the departures of Schumacher and Brawn will change things a lot.

"Even [Felipe] Massa won with the current Ferrari."

With all teams on Bridgestone tyres from 2007, many paddock observers believe this will hand Ferrari a further edge, as unlike its chief rivals it has been using the Japanese rubber for eight years.

However Toyota, along with Williams, made the switch from Michelins a year early at the end of 2005 and Trulli says if his team can combine its knowledge of the tyres with a productive winter testing programme, it can challenge at the front next season.

“We have worked well with Bridgestone and our experience with them should be useful for next season,” he told Formula 1’s official website.

“We know we need to work hard over the winter.

“If we can make another step forward, which I believe that we can, then we will be in good shape next year.”