Following a season in which - other than a couple of minor hiccups - Michael Schumacher, Ferrari and teammate Rubens Barrichello were totally dominant, the German is already looking ahead to next season, his fifteenth in F1.

In an effort to halt the runaway red juggernaut, in addition to reducing costs and curbing speeds, the FIA is introducing a number of new rules.

This is not the first time that the FIA has changed the rules in an attempt to level the playing field, but having secured his seventh title, his fifth successive crown with the Italian team, Schumacher isn't unduly concerned.

"The new rules will make things interesting and we all have to get used to them," he said. . "However, the years of experience have proved that the rules are irrelevant; the best team always wins. We have been the best for quite a while and you can bet that it is our desire for things to remain that way for quite a bit longer."

And in all honesty, who would bet against Schumacher and Ferrari in 2005?