So, whither Ralf Schumacher? There exist some rather imaginative stories suggesting that 'Baby Schu' could well be dumped within the next week or so; to be replaced by a returning Jacques Villeneuve. Apart from giving a neat, if slow, spin to a revolving door - RS replaced JV at Williams six years ago - there seems to be zero logic to the rumour. (See last week's Grapevine)

But, accepting the fact that Ralf's days in blue and white overalls are over come the chequer at Brazil this year, just where will the six-time winner end up - assuming, of course, that the married father of one and an F1 constantly seeking younger talent still want each other?

Does it sound fanciful that F1 will give Ralf up; or that the 29-year old (d.o.b. 30/6/1975) will take his millions (estimated at well over €30m) to live the good life? Well, who would have thought this time a year ago that a free-spirited 32-year old world champion with 11 wins and 13 poles to his (evocative) name would be languishing amongst the ranks of the unemployed? Equally, Jody Scheckter was just 30 when he packed it in; sure, he had won a championship, but does Ralf really enjoy being compared to Michael every other Sunday (and be found wanting most times) whilst knowing damn full well that his chances of a title are effectively zero, particularly whilst Big Brother is watching from the front?

But let us set aside all that, and assume that Ralf will grace the grid next year; that he will find a team willingly to meet his stratospheric salary demands. There are not too many of those. So, rather than speculate where Ralf could end up, let us open by considering where he won't be - in 2005, at least.

Starting at the back, Minardi is obviously a no-go zone for RS, as is Jordan with whom, but for team orders, he would have won his maiden Grand Prix -1998 in Belgium. But, tellingly, in those far-off days he drove cars designed and engineered by Michael Gascoyne, recently of a Cologne address…

That Eddie Jordan and Schumacher went to court to gain a divorce for 1999 is not the reason Ralf won't be donning yellow overalls in a hurry; the causes are down to, more simply, well-known matters of an economic nature.

Two down, who's next? Toyota we'll keep in abeyance, as with Jaguar. Having had its coffers burnt by one Edmund Irvine in exchange for two third places (and all of 18 points) in three years, Jaguar will hardly pay top dollar - even if the Blue Oval made same available, which, in view of the uncertainty surrounding 2008 regulations, could strike the death blow for a profitable Cosworth, and the GPWC's ongoing scrap (parent company Ford is a major player in the manufacturer body) with the powers-that-be, is unlikely.

Sauber? Well, Peter Sauber, the last privateer to join the fray, runs his ship the Swiss way - tightly - so exorbitant salaries are not the way of his team. In any event, would Ralf be happy stringing in what is effectively Ferrari's hand-me-down outfit when Michael is performing wonders in the A team? On bespoke Bridgestones?

BAR has a full house, what with Jenson Button taking podiums, a pole, and leading the opening laps at Imola, and Takuma Sato regularly running in the points. The team's Man Friday Anthony Davidson has not shown too shabbily either, so this Anglo-Japanese door is closed to the German, certainly for 2005. On top of which, Technical Director Geoffrey Willis worked with Ralf at Williams - as he did with Button in 2000 at the same team - and one gets the distinct feeling that his present driver blows his hair back a touch more than does his former charge.

So what about Renault, I hear you say. Well, Flavio Briatore quickly nailed down the assertion put about in March by that slick manager to whom the Brothers Schumacher have entrusted their careers, Willi Weber, that a Renault deal was so close that only the fountain pens needed filling. Now, in F1 a staunch denial is tantamount to admission but, this time, one is inclined to accept that Ralf is not Renault bound. How so?

Simply, why should a team with (fairly) cheap access, via various direct and indirect contracts, to Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber, (plus Jarno Trulli and Jacques Villeneuve, if it likes) sign a driver whose own worth seems rather inflated? Briatore won championships with Michael and usually gets what he wants; had he wanted Ralf he would have signed him two years ago. Enough said.

McLaren has a full house for 2005, at least, and, in any event, has the man - Juan-Pablo Montoya - beside whom Ralf feels least comfortable, so that scuppers any silver overalls for the Salzburg resident. Williams had its chance of re-signing Ralf, and, it seems, decided its future lies elsewhere; whilst Ferrari is just not on for RS whilst MS is there, even without the confirmed Rubens Barrichello in Car Two.

So, back to Toyota. The team has bucks (plenty), has Gascoyne (who raved about Ralf at Jordan), has ambition and needs a race winner. Ralf brings a raft of Michelin experience, has recently aided development of engines and chassis for BMW and Williams, and was born less than 30 kilometres from Toyota's space-age facility in Maasdorf outside Cologne. He would be undisputed Number 1 in a team aiming for the top in three to five years, and could be on a nice little earner in all that time.

So why has the deal not been announced just yet? Simply because certain tax implications need be put to bed: Toyota Motorsport GmbH is a German-registered company, and Ralf is a German citizen - albeit living in Austria. Steffi Graf and Boris Becker can attest to the vigour (and, say some, malice) with which German tax authorities pursue their high-earning stars, even crossing borders to do so.

It used to be so different: Ralf, a German, was living outside Germany and earning a living from outside sources. A Toyota deal would mean a German earning a wage from German sources - and that complicates matters somewhat. When that is sorted a Toyota announcement can be expected; if not, a sabbatical or retirement statement may be in the offing...

Have the Formula One teams blown their best chances of creating a bigger, better spectacle? It is undeniable that a bigger grid makes for a spectacle, which makes for a better race, which makes for a better audience, which makes for better TV numbers, which makes for bigger sponsorship values, which makes for bigger incomes.

So why, then, are at least two teams, so the rumours go, kicking against the removal of the $48m bond, and, thereby, restricting newcomers, such as F3000 team Arden and F3 champions Carlin, from entering the top echelon? Maybe because they can see the threat an additional two teams pose.

The present (and, by all accounts, last) Concorde agreement stipulates that the top ten in each season's constructors' championship receive travel grants from Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One group. And, at present, there are exactly ten teams in the championship, so every current entrant receives a share; twelve teams mean that two of the present lot may lose out, and they are covering for poor performances.

And, it becomes clear why teams did not as much as lift a finger to aid Prost and Arrows, but are now desperately maintaining the status quo at a score. Ten teams means a comfortable split; eleven or twelve and one or two go begging; nine means Bernie trousers even more, which to them is worse.

Now, no names, no pack drill as to who the two may be, but indications are that they both have strong overtones of black in their colours. Now, in the case of one operation we can very well understand the need to cover to for zero travel income (after all, how much do you deserve if have scored but two points in total since the start of 2000?); and in the other? Well, maybe that team has extrapolated its present performance?

There is, of course, another outfit - besides Toyota, which could buy Ecclestone's companies without denting its petty cash reserves - that has not scored a point this season, and which has yet to add its voice to the dissenters. But, it too, will likely vote against the bond removal when the implications become clear, thus making it three of ten.

As Concorde requires unanimous agreement before any clause can be amended, the chances of Arden et al entering the sport before 2008 seem to be the square root of zero. After all, why post a bond equal to one year's budget for 2006/7 when all they need do is await 2008?