Q & A with Anthony Davidson

But a last-minute deal with the Magma Group fixed it all, and the Briton will be on the grid.

And although he admits Super Aguri will be making up the numbers in Melbourne, Davidson told autosport.com he could not be happier.

Q. How does it feel to actually be here in Melbourne?

Anthony Davidson: It feels amazing. It's a massive relief to be here. You don't normally come racing to make up the numbers but I think for this one we are. I know it sounds a bit negative but truly everyone in the team is just over the moon to be here.

Things really looked pretty bad for a few weeks before we got here, and so getting on that plane to come out here was just the best feeling. We're here and it's job done. As far as competing is concerned, we definitely aren't now, but that's always been a concern over the winter.

Q. Was there a time at any stage over the winter where you gave up hope?

AD: Yeah there was. I started painting the house with my wife Carrie and just tried to take my mind off it because for me it was all over. We couldn't go away anywhere, we couldn't go on holiday, because we had to be at home making back-up plans, I don't want to go into the details of what they were but I had them ready. That's really how serious it all got.

Q. But you're here and now looking not just to 2008 but beyond as well. How important is that?

AD: Well it's great news for the team what is happening to them now. Everyone last year worked so hard and we got results, we really showed what we can do. It would have been so disappointing not to have made it here for this season after our achievements from last year so I think it's just deserved that we are here still.

I am just really happy that people could actually see and take note of what we did from the back of the grid.

I think given the chance this team could be very good. We have very committed people here, me and Taku fully pumped up for here and the rest of the year and for the future as well. So I think I earned my stripes last year as they say, so I've just got to give it everything now for this season.

Q. How hard is it to stay focussed on all that training when there is no obvious light at the end of the tunnel?

AD: I did a really good winter's training. It was awesome, around about the December, January time and into February as well. I was the fittest I have ever been easily. I did loads of training on my neck and cardio was really, really good.

I was fully motivated for this season, because at that point it seemed like it was going to go ahead like normal. I was always confident I was going to be here, that was never in question, then suddenly it started looking worse and worse for the team.

So it does really knocks, not your confidence, but your motivation, because it is hard to train when you start to think what am I doing this for? Is it going to happen? Am I going to be there? You are doing very specific training to drive an F1 car, which you wouldn't need to do in any other series. It is hard work, bloody hard work, and keeping motivated to do that is the toughest thing I have had to do for a while.

And when we caught wind that there was a possibility that it might be all back on, then I had to step it up again. That was a bit easier but still you had the doubt in your mind that it still might not happen. It's really been tough. You're not in the car, you're feeling like you've forgotten how do it and Taku's feeling exactly the same. And we're both really anxious about tomorrow. It's tough.

I've done one day in the car all winter, so fitness is low, match fitness is low. Although I've done everything I can outside the car you don't get to the right level until you've been in it. We haven't done race distances, we haven't learnt the MES system fully. Taku's done three days since Brazil in a Formula One car and it's not much. Anyone can see that. Most drivers out there will have done 15 days since Brazil.

Luckily we are used to being on the back foot and the team is as well and I am fully pumped up now for this weekend's race. Malaysia will be a lot easier because all the doubts will be gone after we have a race under our belts and we are back in the swing of things.

Q. Do you think Australia and Malaysia will just be a question of getting through the weekend?

AD: Oh absolutely. We are very, very limited on spares so we are going to be limited on mileage therefore. We will be probably be able to get about 25-30 laps in in total tomorrow, so that makes it harder still on us. We are just going to enjoy being here and try and do the best we can in the situation that we're in, and it will only get better. That's a given.

Q. Is there a sense of frustration that all the hard work of '06 and '07 has all disappeared?

AD: There was over the winter, but then your mind completely changes into survival mode. The first test we missed over the winter was hard, and everyone took it really badly and then when we missed the final Barcelona test, where we were going to take two cars, do all the race preparation and race distances, that was a hard pill to swallow. Motivation levels for everyone in the team hit rock bottom at that point.

So then your survival instincts kick in and then you are just happy being on that plane to Melbourne and that's what we've all got to keep telling ourselves. I know the natural competitor in all of us will come out in qualifying, and we will be disappointed when we are at the back of the grid by quite a long way, that's only natural, but we have to remember what it could have been and what we could have all been doing if we weren't here.

That's what will pull me through the next two weekends and then hopefully by the time we get to Bahrain we will have a lot more spares and we will be getting the mileage that we need and deserve.

Q. The other thing that has become apparent is how Super Aguri has become so popular.

AD: I think it has been really good. We showed that we are a serious team last year and that we can get the points when they are up for grabs. We work hard and I think given the right support we can really do good things and I really look forward to those days.

And I think because people know that, and they have seen the step up in performance from everyone in the team, it's not just the speed of the car but the professionalism and attitude within the team, you get the natural support.

The support for us in Japan is huge. When we went there for the press conferences, you could see we are a really loved team other there. So it would have been a real shame, not just because we are not here, but I think everyone in the paddock and all of the fans would have missed us.

Q. Nick Fry seems genuinely excited about the team's long-term future, what do you think?

AD: I sincerely hope that this team is going to grow and move on up the grid. Everyone likes a success story which starts from right at the bottom and it's going to be done through hard work as well. I think I fit in to that kind of scenario. I've been a long time at BAR and Honda testing and all that is he, isn't he, going to get the chance.

I finally did. I did well last year and looked from the platform to work on forward and move on up the grid for this year and hopefully for the future as well. I think people always like seeing progress.