Barcelona fourth pre-season test Test day four

Karol Z asks Eric Boullier: Are you planning to test more new parts during last days of testing? Please tell us also if there will be any upgrade package for Australia. Thank you

EB: We have some new parts coming. This week was a case of gradual updates for the car, and we should have upgrades for Australia. And we have some more coming at later races – big steps! We will have similar development rates to last year, and we have two strong packages coming.

Sutil improves to 1m28.824s in second place.

@JensonButton tweets the thoughts that many are thinking this morning: "Devastating news from Tokyo and Sendai in Japan. My thoughts go out to everyone effected.. Try and be strong and pull together.."

Barrichello improves to 1m25.582s. Kovalainen comes out as Gascoyne promised.

Sutil sets a time as well, lapping in 1m30.846s.

Here's what Lotus is up to, courtesy of @MikeGascoyne: "Installation lap done and going for first runs. Doing some aero mapping runs as we have the new front wing on"

Barrichello sets the first representative time of the day, lapping in 1m26.779s.

Krzysztof asks: From what you have seen so far, how do Nick Heidfeld's car set-ups and preferences compare with Kubica and Petrov who both were said to have similar driving styles and prefer similar settings?

EB: Actually Nick is quite similar to Robert. He is very good in saving the tyres, which is very important with the Pirellis. And he is close to Robert. They work in a very similar way – and you feel the same thing from them. He has a lot of experience, and the way he is bringing his experience on the table is very similar to the strong wish and commitment to that which Robert has.

Edwin Schimmel from the Netherlands asks: What if Kubica will recover faster than predicted and will be able to return to F1 during the second half of the season, and Heidfeld has more points than Petrov? Is Heidfeld still the one to step aside for Kubica or will Petrov be the one to move over in that case?

EB: I will just say that all scenarios are open! You see I have learned about the politics of F1...

Sutil comes out again in the Force India as well.

Tom Goodall asks: Where were you when you first heard about Robert's accident and what was your initial reaction?

EB: I was in London actually. I was preparing for a meeting and a lunch with one of our sponsors. I remember receiving a call at 9.08am UK time from Morelli, which was informing me of the accident. At that stage it was not that bad, it was just a couple of fracture of the leg and arm. Then two hours later it became obvious it was much worse.

We'll keep you informed with what's happening on track while Eric is with us, and right now Barrichello brings the Williams back out.

Guillermo Fernando Pezzetto asks: We could see in the last time sucessful team managers like Eric and Horner coming from lower categories like F3000/GP2, and being straight away ready for the challenge, where some with a lot of experience in F1 are still finding their way. Why is this? Being not so much influenced by the F1 world makes you think differently? More common sense?! What are the main areas where a lower category manager needs to develop in F1?

Eric Boullier: That is a tricky one. I think there is no special secret. F1 clearly in the 2000s was clearly led by manufacturers who needed a more marketing face and political face, rather than a technical one. With the change now that F1 is facing, also with downsizing companies – you need to get back to the primary focus which is racing. So you need to have people who understand racing more than marketing. And the main area we need to develop is in politics.

Renault team boss Eric Boullier is getting started on your questions now.

Schumacher completes that run and pits.

Jenson Button completes his installation run in the McLaren, so that's all 11 cars that we expect to see this morning. HRT joins in after lunch.

Schumacher stays out for a third lap and gives us our first time of the day - but it's only a 1m43.593s as he conducts the aero analysis.

Michael Schumacher is doing a constant speed test as well. The Mercedes, like the Ferrari, will complete two installation laps before pitting.

Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull and Rubens Barrichello's Williams are the latest to complete installation runs and pit.

Fernando Alonso is out in the Ferrari and already doing a constant speed aero test down the main straight.

Nick Heidfeld's Renault and Adrian Sutil's Force India do their installation laps as well.

Eric Boullier is now up here with us, and later today it's the turn of Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug to answer your questions on AUTOSPORT Live.

So anything you want to ask Haug, email to live@autosport.com.

Alguersuari now comes in, as Kamui Kobayashi does his installation run in yesterday's pacesetting Sauber.

Alguersuari stayed out for a second lap.

Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus) and Jerome D'Ambrosio (Virgin) have done their installation laps now too.

Yesterday Renault team boss Eric Boullier had to send his apologies as he was caught in meetings and had to cancel his appointment to answer your questions on AUTOSPORT Live.

But the good news is he'll be with us shortly and we've kept hold of your questions to put to him this morning.

We're underway, and Jaime Alguersuari is first out in the Toro Rosso.

It now looks like we'll get through today with dry weather, @radarguruf1: "Dry during the track action at #Montmelo today. Sunny this morning, becoming o'cast by late afternoon. Rain tonight. Max 14c"

With only five teams running tomorrow and the HRT F111 making its debut this afternoon, today is the only time all winter when all 12 teams' 2011 cars will run together.

Mercedes is carrying its full update package today - we'll bring you news and pictures as soon as we can.

And McLaren has its wheelguns laid out, looks like it's preparing for pitstop practice and possibly a race simulation.

We can already hear wheelguns going off in the Toro Rosso pits.

It's a clear and bright morning with an air temperature of 7.2 degree and 15 on track.

Good morning from a sunny Barcelona and welcome to AUTOSPORT Live's coverage of the penultimate day of winter testing for 2011.