Renault team boss Flavio Briatore is predicting McLaren will have a difficult season in 2007 despite having secured the services of two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso and GP2 champion Lewis Hamilton.
It will be a tough year for McLaren
"I see them having difficulties. They've always had fantastic drivers like Raikkonen: they always announce them early to demonstrate they're changing but this year the book of excuses has come to its last page."
Briatore also believes that the loss of Michael Schumacher and technical director Ross Brawn will leave Ferrari - who were runners up to Renault last season - missing their usual competitive edge.
"Ferrari without Schumacher and Brawn will be less competitive: that's normal when you lose people like those"