We'll be back, vows McLaren

Kimi Raikkonen provided a graphic illustration that Mercedes still has some serious engine issues to solve as his V10 let go in fiery and spectacular fashion after seven laps as he attempted to work his way through the field. The Finn had been forced to start from the back of the grid as a legacy of an engine failure on the first day of practice.

David Coulthard was in a points-scoring position but failed to finish the race when he lost air pressure in the engine's pneumatic system while poised for a points finish.

However, Ron Dennis was still able to raise a smile as he hosted a packed press briefing in Bahrain: "Blimey, it seems that there's one way to guarantee media coverage - and that's to fail!"

He went on: "Obviously our current situation is giving us pain but I find it a little bit hard to take when you consider that we were right in the championship fight until the last race of last year, and then three races later we are being written off. But we are a strong team and we will work through our problems.

"Whatever it is you are considering, if you look at the last 20 years we are very much at the top. Nobody can win all the time but we are certainly not here to lose. We will be back."