McLaren has been shuffled down to the very end of the Sakhir pitlane ahead of this weekend's Bahrain grand prix.

Despite brokering a deal to occupy the fifth garage slots in Melbourne and Sepang, it has emerged that the Anglo-German squad is to receive the lowliest pit allocation in Bahrain, for as yet unexplained reasons.

Mercedes-powered McLaren finished last in the 2007 constructors' championship last year, due to its espionage penalty, meaning that Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen have to race with the highest numbers; 22 and 23.

But before the season began, Bernie Ecclestone agreed to spare McLaren the indignity of also having the farthest pit slots, so that one of F1's 'Big Two' teams can still have access to first class circuit facilities this year.

Organisers of the Bahrain grand prix, however, revealed on Sunday that Formula One Management has ordered the promoters to arrange for McLaren to be housed next to Force India, the local newspaper Gulf Daily News said.

McLaren Group is part owned by Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, which is wholly owned by the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Source: GMM