MOTOR SPORT: McLaren's miserable start to the Formula One season continued yesterday with an engine failure costing Kimi Raikkonen 10 places on the starting grid for tomorrow's Bahrain Grand Prix in Manama.
Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello lapped fastest in practice for Formula One's debut in the Middle East with Michael Schumacher comfortable in fourth, but McLaren had a nightmare.
"We are on the backfoot, I don't think anyone can hide from that," said McLaren driver David Coulthard, who careered off in the afternoon session when a rear tyre delaminated. We are at the base of the hill in terms of our competitors and we're trying to find a way up it."
Finland's Raikkonen, closest rival to world champion Schumacher last season, has yet to finish a race this year after two rounds. Flickering flames put paid to any hopes he might have had of pole position in Bahrain, the Finn pulling over on his first lap in the second session as fuel leaked on to the engine.
"The damage was severe enough that we need to change it," said Norbert Haug, motorsport head of McLaren's engine partners Mercedes.
Under new regulations, drivers are limited to one engine per weekend and are penalised 10 places on the grid if they have to use another.
McLaren were not the only ones to have problems with engines and tyres, Renault also suffering from both. Spain's Fernando Alonso nursed his car home on a bare rim while Italian team-mate Jarno Trulli pulled over with flames around the engine.
The team said his problem was due to the fuel system and the unit did not need to be changed.
Both McLaren and Renault run on Michelin tyres and the French manufacturer blamed drainage covers that became detached from their concrete bases on the circuit, creating sharp ridges.
The afternoon practice raised hopes of a real challenge to Schumacher after the morning had left them looking little more than a mirage with the German leading the way.
Williams and BAR, Ferrari's closest rivals in the previous race in Malaysia, again looked the most likely to put up a fight with BAR test driver Anthony Davidson third fastest in both yesterday's sessions.
"I definitely like this track because it's quite challenging and this is how a good circuit must be," said Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya, second to Barrichello in the afternoon.
"It seemed like quite a chaotic session, with several cars going off the track," declared Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn. "Our drivers sometimes came to a corner and found there was a lack of grip because of dust thrown onto the circuit."
Six-times champion Schumacher, winner of the season's first two races, claimed the early bragging rights with a fastest lap of 1:32.158, yielding later though to Barrichello's 1:31.450.
Britain's Davidson, who will not race tomorrow, was only 0.8 seconds slower than Schumacher in the first session.
Timo Glock claimed his own small piece of history. The Jordan reserve driver is allowed to practise on the Friday under a new ruling this season allowing all but the top four teams to run three cars on the first day. The German was first out of the pits at the start of the session, becoming the first driver to run on the circuit at a grand prix weekend.
