Paris: Fernando Alonso confidently expects to hand Renault a second successive Formula One world title in a season where paddock politics could be just as dazzling as the action on the track.
The Spaniard became the youngest ever winner of the world title in 2005 but will leave Renault at the end of this season, which gets underway in Bahrain on Sunday.
Alonso's decision to decamp to McLaren which will keep the rumour mill in overdrive.
Will Kimi Raikkonen, badly let down by his McLaren last year, be content to have Alonso as a teammate in 2007?
If not, will the Finn, often touted as Michael Schumacher's heir apparent, head for Italy and a dream job with Ferrari?
Is Renault, as widely rumoured, preparing to close down their F1 operation?
Despite the questions, Alonso insists he is leaving Renault on good terms.
"The best farewell present for all of us would be to win the championship," he said.
"Renault has been my family from when I started in Formula One. I gave a lot of things to Renault and they gave me a lot of things. We need to do the maximum together again this year."
Much of the idle chitchat will centre on what passion the seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher still has for his sport.
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