Is this the last frontier for tenacious Aguri?

So much has been said between the Bahrain and the Spanish grand prix and I will not even bother to tackle what Max Mosley should do - it is rather obvious.

However, the saddest story on the racing scene is Super Aguri's seemingly slow painful death. With its never-say-die attitude, the team has clearly demonstrated that its will to race supersedes all, but unfortunately money talks.

It can never be said that the drivers were challenging the lead of the race but the two dedicated drivers with Anthony Davidson and Takuma Sato were winning a world championship only by participating in the race. No testing is being held, but yet the team does its utmost to compete. Originally the team started off as a B-team for Honda but things did not go according to plan as the Cinderella team seems to be doing better than the big team.

Towards the end of last season, team principal Aguri Suzuki said that the team needed good financial injection to continue. A consortium was set up under the name of Magma, but Spain might just be their last frontier.

Back in Europe, the battle should heat up even further. Lewis Hamilton has to resurrect the McLaren team, however, his team-mate Heikki Kovalanin might silently but surely be pushing Hamilton more than Alonso did last year.

The same goes for Ferrari with Felipe Massa wanting to regain the title race with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen expecting the Brazilian to shoulder him in the running of a possible second championship win.

The teams which held testing sessions at Barcelona tried out the all smooth race tyres that will come in effect next year. The 'slicks' have brought down the times even further. However, next year most aerodynamic ancillaries will have to go.

Local hero Fernando Alonso will be looking towards a home-coming but his car will be no match for the front-runners. Renault, which with Alonso is looking to gain a mere half-second on its performance, a similar Red Bull airbox was used during testing. BMW Sauber is also upbeat and the first win is approaching. Germany would be good but I have this strange feeling that the win will come at the inaugural race in Valencia in mid-August, which is more realistic. However, the team is leading the constructor's championship with a good, improved car and a determined driver duo.

Today we will get a true picture of where all the cars are in the race to the title. From now until August we will witness a further stage in car development, at the same time the new car with the new regulations will be conceived.

Ross Brawn, now team principal at Honda, has already said that the team has embarked on the 2009 project as this year's car, even though improved, does not seem to be any different from last year and the year before.

I am off to Barcelona for the 12th time. I hope to be wandering around the paddock area to bump into Naomi Campbell who said she wanted to support Lewis Hamilton. Rest assured that my allocated time will be quite short and it will be spent better, looking at a race car up close.

After the Malaysia race

Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari - first): "I am very happy with this win, for me and for the team. It's a shame that Felipe was unable to let us bring home a result that was within our grasp. At the start I came alongside Felipe, but I did not take any risks, knowing I was stopping one lap later than him at the end of the first stint. When that time came, I pushed to the maximum and I managed to come out of my pit stop ahead of him. From then on, with a clear track ahead of me, the car was perfect. I was able to control the situation without having to stress the car or the tyres. We are struggling a little bit in qualifying, but in the race we have very high potential. We have had a very complicated start to the season, but I have certainly not lost faith in the team: we can still do better."

Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber - second): "It's a fantastic day for the team, for Petronas and for me - the second consecutive podium. After Monza 2006, I finally managed to get another podium myself. I didn't have a good start because of too much wheel spin, and was fighting with Nick and Jarno Trulli. I took the dirty inside line and almost lost the car, but somehow I managed to get through the corner and overtake them. From this moment on, I drove at my own pace. The Ferraris were too quick, but I was able to increase the gap from the cars following me. After the second pit stop I reduced the revs to save the engine and took it easy. I didn't feel very well all weekend and it was very hot in the car, so the last ten laps were pretty tough. But it all paid off with a brilliant result."

Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren - third): "I am pretty happy with my third place today, considering yesterday's penalty, and it was probably the best possible result for us in these circumstances. Our strategy worked really well and it meant that I was able to be in clean air for most of the race. The team really did a fantastic job and I am happy to reward them with my first podium for the team. I did have a small issue with graining during my first stint; however, I was able to stay out until lap 20, which helped me to overtake Jarno Trulli during my first pit stop. After my second stop I was able to play it safe and secure my third place, as it was not possible at this stage to go one better."

Jarno Trulli (Toyota - fourth): "It's nice to be back in the points after such a strong race. I'm especially happy for the team, both here and in Cologne. This result is mainly down to their work over the winter and I dedicate it to them. I had a difficult first corner when I lost grip, ran wide and touched Nick Heidfeld, losing a bit of ground. But after that I was able to keep up with the McLarens. Then we made it past Mark Webber as the team did a good job at the pit stops. In the end, it was a great fight with Lewis Hamilton and we were pushing each other hard. He was obviously slightly quicker than me but I gave 100 per cent and thanks to the team's good job and the trouble-free weekend, we took fourth. I just hope we can carry on improving the performance of the car. With Toyota's potential we can bounce back to the 2005 level already this year."

Lewis Hamilton (McLaren - fifth): "I got a really good start and was pretty happy as we jumped five positions from ninth to fifth. I was pushing Mark for a very long time, but being behind someone, no matter how quick you are, it is really difficult to get past. We were in a good position for a shot at third place at least, but then I had the problem in my first pit stop which lost me a lot of time. So I did the best job I could. However, we take away the fact that the car ran very reliably in these extreme conditions, and I was able to push Jarno right until the last second. Both Mark and Jarno drove really well today, and it was great to fight them out on track today."

Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber - sixth): "I have mixed emotions about today's race. Of course, I'm happy to have clocked up my first fastest race lap in F1, and 11 points are also the best ever result for our team. The pace of the car was really, really good - about the same level as the McLaren. That's all very positive and makes it even more disappointing that I only finished sixth. My start was very good and then I tried to overtake right on the outside in the first corner. Robert was on the inside, and Jarno Trulli was between us - I just ran out of room. It was a try, but it didn't work out. I picked up some dirt and lost two more positions on the first lap. At least I got them back when I overtook David Coulthard and Fernando Alonso on lap four. Again our pit crew did a very good job."

After the Bahrain race

Felipe Massa (Ferrari - first): "Sensational! Finally, after a start to the championship under dark clouds, I can see the sunshine again. We kept our concentration all weekend long and this is the result. We knew we could count on a great car and that certainly proved to be the case, given that I never had to push to the maximum once I was in the lead. I made a good start, managing to overtake Robert. Then, there were a few difficult laps because of oil on track between Turns 5 and 8, but I was always in control. Clearly, I always had in mind what happened in Malaysia and so I tried to pay attention all the time, to ensure I brought the car home. It is nice to be back in the winner's position here in Sakhir, a track I have always liked."

Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari - second): Second place was the best I could hope for on a weekend which was definitely not the best for me. These eight points move me into the lead of the championship and that is definitely a reason for me to leave Bahrain reasonably satisfied. I never found the ideal balance. Sometimes you get weekends like this, but I am convinced that in Barcelona, the situation will be different. My first pit stop was not very quick because we had a problem with the lights, but it definitely did not affect the final result. Once I had consolidated my position, I managed the situation, trying not to push the car too much, knowing how important it is to always bring home the points."

Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber - third): "I am happy with the result. This is my second consecutive podium and the team is leading the constructors' championship. Unfortunately I had massive wheel spin at the start and hit some debris in the first corner of the second lap. When I drove through the oil I was sure I had punctured my tyre, as at that point I didn't have the information about the oil. But this was a great day for the team. I am now looking forward to Barcelona."

Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber - fourth): "Now after the race I'm much happier than I was yesterday. Having finished fourth is a positive result after what was a difficult weekend for me. The car's balance on this track was just not how I wanted it to be. I hope I won't have such troubles again. Finishing the race just one position behind my team mate, who started from pole while I was sixth, is a good result. I enjoyed overtaking Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen. Once again for us in the team everything went smoothly."

Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren - fifth): "Quite a tough race today. I made a great start and overtook Kimi coming into Turn Two, but then outbraked myself in

Turn Four and he regained his position. I then went in too deep at Turn Eight and 'flatspotted' my front right tyre which caused a lot of vibration. It vibrated so much that I was worried something would fall off the car. Things improved in the second stint and the car worked really well towards the end when we changed to the prime tyre. Fifth was the maximum I could do today. However, we still scored points on a difficult day, and that is the main thing. I have total commitment to the team and a good car, and I know we will keep working hard to improve for the start of the European races."

Jarno Trulli (Toyota - sixth): "I'm delighted with another finish in the top six today - both for myself and for the team who worked very well and did a good job. We finished right behind the top three teams so that is the most we could expect from this weekend. I made a strong start and I was able to gain a couple of places into the first corner. I briefly came under pressure from Nico Rosberg early on, but then I started to do my race. The car was well balanced, I knew I was quick and we had a good strategy so I just got my head down. The car's pace was very strong, both cars finished, and we looked very competitive. This result gives us a boost for the future. We will now head to the test in Barcelona looking to build on this in preparation for the next race."