Is the reigning world champion married or not?  Faced with the question in the paddock, the 25-year-old Spaniard grinned slightly and kept walking.

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Spyker's protest on Saturday against Super Aguri at Albert Park was thrown out by the stewards on a technicality; it was lodged too late.  According to sources in the Melbourne paddock, the FIA representatives did not even look at a plethora of photographic evidence compiled by Spyker chief Colin Kolles aimed at proving that the SA07 is a direct copy of last year's Honda.

He is tipped to try again in Malaysia in three weeks.

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Between 80,000 and 100,000 spectators are expected at Albert Park on Sunday.  76,000 attended on Saturday.

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Former triple world champion Niki Lauda says he would love to be a formula one driver in today's era.  "Of course," the great Austrian smiled in Australia.

"Compared to my day, you hardly drive and earn a mountain of money -- and I wouldn't have nearly burned myself to death in these cars!"

Gerhard Berger disagreed: "I wouldn't change anything.  The best time for me was the 80s -- turbos and more than 1000hp.  Now, it's traction control and power steering ..."