Ralf not expecting early improvement

Toyota's team principal Tsutomu Tomita is stepping down at the end of June, to be replaced by Tadashi Yamashina, in a move that the Japanese manufacturer hope will provide a fresh impetus to help them move up the grid.

But despite the changes, and a start to the season that was not as bad as some at the team had feared, Schumacher has said that he does not expect any significant steps forward in the short term.

"We are expecting more development pieces during the summer and we will make some steps then," Schumacher told autosport.com.

And he thinks that the team are going to have to wait to find out the true impact of Yamashina's promotion - even though he is expecting a different management approach.

"It's not a surprise (what happened)," said Schumacher. "He is a bit more aggressive, maybe because of his experience of working in America. But will it change the style of the company? I really don't know at the moment."

Although Schumacher was fourth fastest in testing at Barcelona on Monday, he still thinks they are no nearer the front than they were in the first three races.

"We tried some new aero parts, and all in all it was quite satisfying," he said. "I could find some set-up direction that works in my favour, which is good.

"But regarding the lap times, we are still on the same level as the last race - as Takuma Sato was also quick."