Talking at Imola ahead of this weekend's San Marino Grand Prix, Renault's Fernando Alonso, who is heading to McLaren next season, has dismissed speculation that seven-time World Champion, Michael Schumacher, could join the French outfit and fill his seat.

"I laugh," he told reporters today. "With that one, I truly laugh.

"For me, it's impossible," he continued, "knowing the team, knowing the bosses of the team, knowing Flavio. It's impossible that Michael comes here."

In a season where more than a dozen drivers come to the end of their current contract, the speculation as to who will go where in 2007 is rife, particularly regarding Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen. Alonso believes his early decision to switch to McLaren, and announce it, is already paying dividends.

"The announcement of the move to McLaren so early had some disadvantages," he admitted, "but it also had some advantages also in my mind, to be relaxed and concentrated on winning and not having to answer a new paddock rumour at every race.

"Every week we have a new story about Kimi or Michael," he continued, "if he retires or not, if Kimi stays at McLaren or goes to Ferrari, Montoya to Red Bull or whatever," laughed the Spaniard.

"It's just what I didn't want to happen to me. In the first races of the championship I want to be concentrated."

Looking ahead to this weekend's race, having scored a tremendous victory over Schumacher in 2005, Alonso said: "If they (Ferrari) can win one race, it will be this one. But for me, for the championship it is not a big change. I prefer to finish second or third here and win again at the Nurburgring."