BARCELONA, Spain — Ferrari does not want Fernando Alonso as a driver.
“To line up a Raikkonen/Alonso double act would mean wanting to damage yourself,” Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo told Gazzetta dello Sport. “I want two equal drivers that work together.”
It was a less than subtle reference to the way Alonso and Lewis Hamilton did not work together at McLaren last year.
Spanish newspapers recently quoted Alonso saying he wants “a car with which I can win. There are several, Williams, Toyota, BMW and Ferrari, of course.”
Asked about Ferrari, Alonso told reporters at the track that he does not expect anything.
“This is only the fourth race of the championship,” he said. “I try to be better and better every year — a better driver. This year will be a tough season for me. It seems I will race in the middle of the group always, so at the end of the year I will be a better driver and for next year we will see.”
Asked if he agreed with Montezemolo, Kimi Raikkonen, who was sitting next to a grinning Alonso in a press conference, laughed and replied: “It’s better that I don’t say anything!”

• Now that its hospitality center is down at the far end of the paddock, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes invited its new “neighbors,” Force India and Super Aguri, to a tea party to get acquainted Thursday afternoon.
About 40 members from the two teams attended including Anthony Davidson, Giancarlo Fisichella and Mike Gascoyne.

• As this was the first race in Europe, it was also the first time to check out the team’s hospitality units. Force India is the only team with a new one, however. It’s a three-story structure with a mirror-glassed front. While not as wide as McLaren’s palatial unit, which is next door, it is half a meter higher.

• While the Super Aguri transporters and hospitality units were in place in the Barcelona paddock, it was not until late on Thursday that the team got the go-ahead to let its cars run. The team is rushing to  find financial aid after a buyout offer by Magma Group involving Dubai Int’l Capital fell through.
“We advise that discussions regarding investment are ongoing, however, due to legal conditions, we are unable to expand on, allude to, or provide further details regarding this confidential matter at present,” a team statement said.
Honda, which partially funds the team, wants financial assurance that the new investors would pay for the engines. While Honda does not want to pay to run two teams, it’s in its best interest to keep Super Aguri afloat so that a buyer can be found. That way Honda can recoup at least some of the money it has spent on the team. Further meetings between Honda, Aguri Suzuki and other parties are scheduled for this week.

• A plaque honoring Nelson Piquet was officially unveiled at the track’s Champions Avenue that also honors Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Mick Doohan.

• The Hondas ran with ridiculous- looking wings fitted to the top of the front nose cone. It looked like a seagull was perched on the nose, but it did the job intended and significantly improved front downforce.

• As seen in testing, Renault ran its shark fin on the engine cover and Ferrari had its slotted nose cone. “It’s one of the aerodynamic changes that we had on the way during the winter,” Aldo Costa said of the nose. “It probably took a little bit more time because it’s more difficult from the crash [test] point of view.”

• Because the teams tested in Barcelona just prior to the race, they did less running than usual during practice on Friday and Saturday. That was bad news for the fans who  paid to see cars on the track.

n Kimi Raikkonen’s pole was his first of the season and the 15th of his career. It was the 197th for Ferrari, 13 of which were obtained in Spain. With Fernando Alonso qualifying second, this was the first time since 2006 that two world champions were on the front row.

• An untrue rumor circulating through the paddock said that Rubens Barrichello will swap places with Marco Andretti and drive for Andretti Green Racing in the IRL while Andretti replaces him on the Honda F-1 team.

• Sunday’s crowd of 132,600 was for the first time in several years not a sellout. This was due to the fact that Fernando Alonso had no chance of a podium finish, and because there will be a second Grand Prix in Spain, in Valencia, in August. No doubt Alonso qualifying second boosted last-minute ticket sales.

• Officials fined David Coulthard 4,000 euros [$6,265] for failing to attend the drivers’ parade.

• Adrien Tambay, son of former F-1 driver Patrick Tambay, won the two Formula BMW races held during the GP weekend.

• The FIA has launched its EveryRace campaign, sending a message that discrimination and prejudice can have no place in sport or in society.
“I believe that motorsport, like all other sports, is about freedom of expression in the pursuit of competition and excellence — nothing more, nothing less,” said Lewis Hamilton who was the victim of some racist taunts during preseason testing at Barcelona.

• Nick Heidfeld damaged the front suspension and wing of a BMW Sauber F-1 car when he whacked a wall while doing doughnuts during a demonstration for the workers at BMW’s factory in Munich. Luckily it was “only” a 2006 car.

• Mark Webber is the only current driver who has spoken publicly about the Max Mosley affair.
“I had a big interview set up with Sky Sports for ages,” he said. “I just thought I’d answer the question. And I have a column with the BBC. It is a bit pathetic if Sky Sports wants to do a big interview about the sport I am involved in, and I sit there saying, ‘no comment.’ I am trying to represent the sport.”