London: BMW motorsport chief Mario Theissen believes the absence of Michael Schumacher on the starting grid for the 2007 World Championship will be an odd sensation but a brief one.

Schumacher retired in October last year, ending a 15-year career in Formula One that saw the German driver smash virtually ever record in the history books of motor racing.

However, Theissen insists there are plenty of young guns all eager to try and step into the former Ferrari driver’s boots.

"Most definitely he will be missed in the first half of the season," he confessed.

"It will feel strange. On the other hand, there are so many young talents on the grid that the excitement will be even bigger, from my point of view," he said.

Theissen stressed that the achievements of past F1 greats have up until now always been tapered back with the arrival of fresh blood and he sees no reason to suspect Schumacher’s legacy and the void he has left will be filled sooner than people might expect.

He said, "History has demonstrated again and again that the gap left by the retirement of a top driver was closed quicker than expected."