1630: But fear not, people, I can assure you that we here at BBC Towers are certainly not planning to follow Hispania's lead. I'll be back in position bright and early on Monday morning, primed for anything and everything the Circuit de Catalunya decides to throw at us. Thanks again for all your contributions. Adios.

1625: The website F1 Fanatic is reporting that Hispania will not be running on Monday - the fourth and final day of the Barcelona test - after completing their planned programme on Sunday.

Team Lotus technical chief Mike Gascoyne on Twitter: "Jarno got traffic on his quick lap and lost a few tenths behind Hamilton so it could have been better, he is happy with the car."

1620: So here's how it finished:
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes W02, 1:23.168, 92 (laps)
Vitaly Petrov, Renault R31, 1:23.463, 93
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, MP4-26, 1:23.858, 93
Pastor Maldonado, Williams, FW33 1:24.815, 60
Mark Webber, Red Bull RB7, 1:24.995, 139
Jarno Trulli, Lotus T128, 1:25.454, 48
Sergio Perez, Sauber C30, 1:25.557, 115
Adrian Sutil, Force India, VJM04, 1:25.720, 102
Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso STR6, 1:26.155, 31
Felipe Massa, Ferrari F150, 1:26.508, 123
Timo Glock, Virgin MVR-02, 1:26.598, 97
Giorgio Mondini, Hispania F110, 1:28.178, 39
Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso STR6, 1:28.329, 42
Narain Karthikeyan, Hispania F110, 1:30.722, 32

1600: No news on the issue yet but there's not enough time to get it sorted and re-start the action. The black and white flag is waving. Nico Rosberg of Mercedes tops the timesheets on day three of pre-season testing in Barcelona.

1559: Thought we'd get the afternoon session without a stoppage? You were wrong. Out comes the RED FLAG. Something to do with Red Bull driver Mark Webber.

1558: I'm hearing Hamilton has eased off to get a bit of aerodynamic data gathering done. McLaren, I imagine will be quite happy with their day. But the headlines look set to go to Nico Rosberg and Mercedes.

1555: Rosberg in the driving seat. Literally and metaphorically. Leads by 0.295 from Petrov and by 0.690 from Hamilton. Maldonado and Webber also in the top five. FIVE MINUTES until that chequered flag flutters at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Jonno2758 on Twitter: "Renault looking fast. Must be those not so silly exhaust pipes working."

1550: Ten minutes to win it - who's your pick?

BBC F1 pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz: "Mark Webber's race simulation comes to an end with a final lap in the 1:27s, pretty much idential to the lap times that Felipe Massa is doing towards the end of his long run. It does seem genuinely difficult to find out which of these two cars is the class of the field. Only qualifying at the first race will give us the true answer."

1545: Knew it was going to happen... Rosberg reels off a 1:23.168 to head the field once more. With 15 minutes to go it's looking like a two-horse race. Anyone else fancy coming to the party?

1543: Just as I write that, Vitaly Petrov comes out for two flying laps and manages to post a lap of 1:23.474 to steal top spot from Rosberg. Hamilton now third as he focuses on long run, Webber fourth and Maldonado fifth.

1534: Well, well, well... we have a new pace setter and it's not one of the 'big guns' but Nico Rosberg of Mercedes. It's a lap of one minute, 23.474 that does it, relegates Hamilton down to second. Team-mate Michael Schumacher said he was "slightly concerned" with the car's pace earlier this month but Ross Brawn and co might just have found the right formula.

1530: Toro Rosso reserve Daniel Ricciardo gave a good account of himself this morning and he's be speaking to Autosport.com about his team's chances this season. "Testing has gone well for us in the pre-season," said the Australian. "It's always hard to say how good we will be until the first race because there are too many variables in testing to get too excited, or too negative. But the vibe around the team is a positive one and I think they've made a good step forward from last season. I really hope this season the boys can move up a chunk of positions on the grid, and with these new rules coming into place a podium might even be on the cards."

1523: Webber makes his move with a 1:24.995 to go second on the timesheets, 1.137 seconds adrift of Hamitlon. Rosberg's on the march too, clocking a 1:25.046 to snatch third from Sutil (1:25.720). Petrov (1:25.734) is fifth and Buemi (1:26.155) sixth.

stephent1985 on Twitter: "Hopefully McLaren will give Jenson and Lewis the chance to do some hard driving tomorrow, get some good times laid down."
Lewis is going it alone for McLaren today and tomorrow, Jenson had the car on Friday and Saturday

BBC Sport's Andrew Benson: "To answer Neil's query about Sauber, it's always difficult to tell too much from times in testing. And it's also true that the Sauber is not exactly emblazoned with sponsorship right now. But they have some pretty serious backers from Mexico for this season, although more funding is always welcome for any F1 team. In terms of the car's pace, technical director James Key is a bright, sensible guy and the word on the street is that the car looks pretty decent so far - I've heard some people say it looks faster than the Mercedes at the moment, for example. But then, so do quite a few cars…"

Neil, Herts, via text on 81111: "Last year Sauber's times flattered the car at a time when sponsorship was needed. Is there a feeling that this year's times are more realistic?"

1500: We have ONE HOUR REMAINING and Hamilton is the man to beat. Webber pits for new tyres before heading straight back out to continue his 'simulated Spanish Grand Prix'. The teams are due to return to the Circuit de Catalunya on 20-22 May for the real thing, with three practice sessions preceding qualifying at 1300-1400 (UK time) on Saturday and the race at 1300 (UK time) on Sunday.

1458: Hamilton (1:23.858) hanging on to top spot but the Englishman's lead is cut by both Adrian Sutil (1:25.720) of Force India and Renault's Vitaly Petrov (1:25.734). Buemi (1:26.155), Maldonado (1:27.062) and Glock (1:27.372) join them in the top six, with Webber still seventh (1:27.457) as he ploughs on with his race run.

1455: Four drivers on the track at present - Buemi, Webber, Rosberg and Perez. I'm very keen to see how Rosberg performs this season. He finished two places 70 points above team-mate and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher last season. Would a similar story in 2011 mean curtains for the great man?

1450: Andy, let me refer you back to Sarah Holt's contribution from just before 1000 GMT. "Jaime Alguersuari is one of the most positive people in the paddock and the 20-year-old had good reason to be after finishing just 0.2 seconds behind Red Bull's pacesetter Sebastian Vettel on Saturday. Toro Rosso are used to living in the shadow of their bigger sister team but Alguersuari reckons his team have a real chance to shine in 2011. 'I think we have a better car than last year,' he said. 'I'm convinced that we can be in front of Sauber and Force India. Hopefully we have some upgrades coming and that's already an evolution because last year we didn't. It's definitely really nice to finish two days of testing and to see our car up there with Red Bull and Ferrari.'" Possible dark horses? These are still very early days but you never know - they're looking in good shape.

Andy, Brentwood, via text on 81111: "Toro Rosso have looked pretty strong so far, possible dark horse? "

1442: All going to plan for McLaren as Hamilton, performing a series of short runs, goes quicker still. This time he pulls out a lap of 1:23.914 and that puts him 1.820 seconds clear of Petrov in second.

BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz in Barcelona: "That's better from Felipe Massa after his spins this morning, two consecutive personal bests of the day. The Brazilian's pit board indicates that he has 18 laps left on this stint for Ferrari. Meanwhile, Mark Webber is making good progress in his race simulation for Red Bull. He's just made a second pit stop after 26 laps."

F1 Fanatic on Twitter: "Webber has done some mileage for Red Bull today, 91laps so far. Massa 78 & Hamilton 58"

1429: Buemi bites back with a 1:26.155 to go second-fastest, 0.310 off the pace of Hamilton. Torro Rosso ought to be delighted with their work in Barcelona so far, very impressive.

1428: McLaren fans will be pleased to hear Lewis Hamilton has returned to the top of the timesheets with a lap of 1:25.845. The 2008 world champions leaders from Petrov, Buemi, Maldonado, Sutil and Glock. Mark Webber finds himself seventh as he continues on his long stint and Felipe Massa is down in 11th despite recently chalking off his quickest lap today, an effort of 1:28.639.

A McLaren employee tries to take snaps of the Ferrari F150

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Barcelona: "More on that pit-lane activity for you. As you already know by now as friends of testing, most of the teams shield the cars from prying eyes behind screens when they're in the garages. (Although not all are as bothered - we could see all the nuts and bolts as Lotus tinkered with Jarno Trulli's car). Screens or not, team spies brazenly stand about snapping away at their rivals and we caught one McLaren bod standing at Ferrari awaiting Felipe Massa's return. While the cars came and went in waves, Paul di Resta hung out at the back of the Force India garage while Pastor Maldonado dangled off the end of Williams's pit-wall as he checked in with his crew. Among all this hubbub, guests and fans were being ferried about to peer at the circus. And what tickled us most was that the flat-bed truck driver - who's been a busy man with four red flags so far - was also ferrying around a female friend in the front seat, presumably to have a chin-wag with if the cars stayed on track."

1414: Is Webber about to make his move? The Australian registers his quickest time of the afternoon - a 1:27.457 - to position himself sixth-fastest. Big couple of days for Webber, these.

1409: The black and gold of Vitaly Petrov's Renault storms round the Circuit de Catalunya is one minutes, 26.233 seconds to give us a new leader. Petrov, Hamilton, Buemi, Maldonado and Glock now comprise the top five but I wouldn't bank on it staying that way for long...

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Barcelona: "Guess who we've just had a friendly wave from? None other than our very own David Coulthard. He's in the pits casting his eye over what's going down on track. We shall go and say hello from everyone later. And before you ask, no he wasn't wearing the white jeans."
Oh DC, such a spoilsport. Saving them for the new season are we?

1400: Back to the far less pressing matter of testing and there's been more movement on timesheets. Hamilton still heads the field following his pre-lunch lap of 1:26.819, with Buemi (1:26.877) and Maldonado (1:27.218) his closest challengers. Petrov (1:27.374), Rosberg (1:27.793) and Perez (1:27.819) are all no more than a second off this pace. Webber (1:29.774) is down in ninth and has just started his latest run, while Massa is 12 and looks set for a lengthy stint.

1352: Ecclestone's comments come as the Sunday Times reported that some teams would boycott the grand prix if it went ahead (check out Sunday's F1 gossip column for that and more). F1 insiders have told BBC Sport that the teams' contractual commitments to Ecclestone's Formula 1 Management company mean they would be obliged to attend the race if it is held.

1350: The British Foreign Office - along with counterparts in many other Western countries - is advising against non-essential travel to the Gulf State. BBC Sport understands the warning is not enough to trigger clauses that would invalidate insurance for most F1 teams. For that, the travel advice would have to be not to travel there at all. Ecclestone ruled out holding the race on that date in another location, saying there would not be time for alternative organisers to make the necessary arrangements. He said Bahrain could be moved to another date later in the year if the race in March was called off.

1348: Lost count of the number of you asking me for the latest on Bahrain. There's been no publicly-announced development since earlier today, when F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone told BBC Sport he would leave the decision on whether to hold the Bahrain Grand Prix to the country's crown prince. Final testing and the season-opening race are in doubt following unrest that has seen six people killed after police fired live rounds at protestors demanding reform. Ecclestone said crown prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifah was best placed to make the call. "He will decide whether it's safe for us to be there," Ecclestone said. "I've no idea. I'm not there, so I don't know. We won't advise people to go unless it's safe."

RMcErlean on Twitter: "Great to see the weather's getting better, still overcast in Bedfordshire! Also great to see Massa doing well, have really missed him."

Richard, Northampton, via text on 81111: "I wish all the McLaren fans would stop moaning, its called testing for a reason, they be fine when the first race comes around!"

1337: Anything you can do, I can do better. Buemi announces himself with a lap of 1:26.877 to leapfrog Red Bull team-mate Ricciardo, who he has taken over from for the afternoon session, into second place on the timesheets. Oh and Sergio Perez of Sauber is now up to third after lapping in 1:27.819, exactly a second off Lewis Hamilton's fastest time.

1330: With a busy afternoon ahead of us, I'd be ever so grateful if you could ease my workload by contributing to this very text commentary. Basically, I sit back and relax for the next few hours and you lot do the writing. Deal? Most of you know the drill but for any newcomers the main two methods of contact are via the Twitter hashtag #BBCF1 - unless you need specific question answered and in that case drop me a Tweet @bbcsport_david - or text message to 81111 (UK). Simples.

Renault GP on Twitter: "After a cold, miserable morning, it's turned into a rather pleasant afternoon. I've just taken my fleece off and it's warming up nicely."

BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz in Barcelona: "The top teams are still in their garages as they wait for the track to dry out completely, so they can continue their tyre and set-up work. The sun is shining brightly now and the track temperature is up to 22C. Helping the drying provess is Swiss Giorgio Mondini, who is lapping in last year's Hispania. His rear light is flashing green to warn other drivers he is a rookie."

1319: With the sun breaking through and the track rapidly drying out, we can expect some quick times between now at 1600 GMT. Maldonado rises to fourth with a 1:29.053 on slicks and Rosberg gets up to sixth with a 1:30.014. I said Buemi was due to take over from Ricciardo but no sign of him yet.

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Barcelona: "Has Vitantonio Liuzzi signed up for the last seat on the 2011 grid with Hispania? The Italian, who has now gone home to Italy, says it is still a case of 'wait and see'. Liuzzi bettered the time set by their only contracted driver, Narain Karthikeyan, by more than a second but he says: 'We'll talk in the next few days and see what comes. It's open at the moment. We have a few things I'm working on, there are talks elsewhere [in F1] but we are not talking about driving as we know the only seat available is Hispania.' Liuzzi lost his Force India seat to Paul di Resta and says he did feel despondent about his future. 'Back home I was thinking what to do, if I wanted to be back or not,' Liuzzi revealed. 'But when you jump on the track and it is what you love, you feel really good. It's a big relief and I felt happy when Hispania gave me this chance.'"

1310: Trulli and Maldonado emerge from the pits to get us back up and running. A reminder of who's in action this afternoon: Mark Webber is in position for Red Bull, Felipe Massa for Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton for McLaren. The Mercedes seat is occupied by Nico Rosberg, Vitaly Petrov tests for Renault and Williams opt for Pastor Maldonado. Adrian Sutil (Force India), Sergio Perez (Sauber) and Narain Karthikeyan (Hispania) are also on the track, with Sebastien Buemi taking over from Daniel Ricciardo for Toro Rosso. Jarno Trulli (Lotus), Giorgio Mondini (Hispania) and Timo Glock (Virgin) complete the 13 runners.

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Barcelona: "There was plenty for curious eyes to see when Ted and I popped down to the pit lane. Looking out on track from the pit wall, we could clearly see the cars' moveable rear wings flashing open wide and then quickly closing like a Venus Flytrap. It looks like it'll be easy for watching fans to see when teams are choosing to use it. During the race, drivers can only use it when they are less than a second behind another car and only at certain points on the track but it is a free-for-all in practice and qualifying."

1300: A GREEN FLAG is fluttering at the Circuit de Catalunya. The afternoon session starts now. The sun is out and this has the potential to be a cracking three hours.

Ben, Great Wyrley, via text on 81111: "Encouraging signs from Hamilton and the McLaren, hopefully the start of something special. Could it be that McLaren were running their car slower than the others so when the last test comes along they can show their true colours?"

1225: I'd like to say I agree with you, thejudge13, but I don't. Not from a drivers perspective but my own! You see, a lunch break in testing means I'm able move from this desk for the first time in well over four hours. Please say you understand? Right then everyone, I'm off for some soup and a sarnie - back in a bit for the afternoon session and no doubt bundles more drama.

thejudge13 on Twitter: "Lunch break? Que? We didn't have this last week in Jerez. Teams losing 12.5% test time a day. Spain famous for siesta but come on..."

Mercedes GP on Twitter: "Lunchtime and peace reigns over the Circuit de Catalunya for the next hour..."

1200: And breath... out comes the chequered flag to signify lunch and bring an end to the morning session on day three in Barcelona. Lewis Hamilton finishes the morning session top of the timesheets with a flying lap of one minute, 28.053 seconds. Signs of encouragement for McLaren, at long last. The Briton is 0.276 seconds quicker than Toro Rossi reserve Daniel Ricciardo, 0.369 in front of Force India's Adrian Sutil and 1.595 ahead of Renault's Vitaly Petrov. Sergio Perez of Sauber was fifth-fastest, Red Bull's Mark Webber down in sixth and 2.444 off the pace, Narain Karthikeyan of Hispania seventh and Virgin's Timo Glock eighth. Felipe 'two spins' Massa (Ferrari), Pastor Maldonado (Williams), Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) and Jarno Trulli (Lotus) complete the field.

From Alex, a concerned but hopeful Mclaren fan in King's Lynn, via text on 81111: "Interesting to see so many despondent McLaren followers. Everyone should bear in mind that this is called testing for a reason. Having said that, if McLaren really can't match the pace of the Red Bull for a third season in a row, it wouldn't surprise me at all if we saw a few heads roll within the team. Surely a team with so many resources and so much money won't tolerate failure for a third year running? Have we got any kind of clue why they're not even touching the pace expected?!?"

BBC F1 pit-lane Ted Kravitz in Barcelona: "I've been down to McLaren and Lewis Hamilton has gone out again on a new set of dry-weather Pirelli tyres. There is a dry line appearing around the circuit and now Mark Webber has also chosen the slicks for Red Bull. Hamilton's first flying laps was a 1:29.116 - just one hundredth of a second slower than Daniel Ricciardo's best of the day in the Toro Rosso."

1157: And Ricciardo goes lower still, this time lapping in 1:28.329. Hamilton second, Sutil now third, Karthikeyan fourth and Perez fifth.

1155: Remember, Ricciardo hands the Toro Rosso over the Sebastien Buemi this afternoon so now is his chance to shine. He puts in a 1:29.102 but Perez, Petrov and Karthikeyan are all quick to respond - and then Hamilton reels off a 1:29.116 which moves him to within 0.014 seconds of the leader.

1150: Lots happening on the track as lunch nears. Hamilton (1:35.504) climbs atop the timesheets but is swiftly replaced by Ricciardo (1:32.465). That puts the Toro Rosso reserve driver way clear at the head of the field. Massa then leaps above Hamilton with a 1:35.212 but Ricciardo responds again - this time the Australian pulls out a 1:29.755 to go fastest by 5.437 seconds. Safe to say the Circuit de Catalunya is now pretty dry!

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Barcelona: "Good work from the McLaren mechanics. They've managed to fix Lewis Hamilton's car and he has gone out on slicks to a 1:35.504 to take him to the top of the timings. Ted is on his way down to the garage to see what's going on."

1141: And here's some more on Hamilton...

1140: A little update on Massa from Holty. "If it makes any worried Felipe Massa fans feel any better our eyes trackside report that the Brazilian got out of his car after his second off and spent a good while waving to the crowd". Golden chat, that.

Chris, bored at work in Manchester, via text on 81111: "In regards to McLaren's lack of pace, could it be that because the design is so advanced that the drivers have been told to run at 90% throttle max while they make sure everything else is bed in? Thus, come the final test, we see McLaren let rip?"

Jay, sunning but depressed on holiday in Fuerteventura, via text on 81111: "I am totally depressed, McLaren seems to have got it wrong third year in a row."

1132: Looks to be drying up already, if Adrian Sutil's time of one minute, 40.126 is anything to go by. I make that the first sub-1:41 lap today. Meanwhile, Petrov has leapt to sixth and Karthikeyan seventh. All of which has pushed Hamilton down to 10th.

Team Lotus technical chief Mike Gascoyne on Twitter: "Too wet for dry tyres and getting too dry for any meaningful work on the inters. Hopefully will dry up for the afternoon."

1127: Those were the times, these are the laps. Webber (45), Massa (35), Perez (32), Ricciardo (28), Maldonado (11), Rosberg (31), Hamilton (30), Trulli (24), Petrov (14), Sutil (40), Glock (40), Karthikeyan (14).

1125: Quick work from the track staff. The GREEN FLAG flies and we're back under way. Not sure how I missed this but Webber is now leading the way with a lap of one minutes, 41.258 seconds. Massa is just 0.062 seconds behind and Perez 0.112 off the pace. Ricciardo (1:41.716), Maldonado (1:43.121) and Rosberg (1:43.268) complete the top six, with Hamilton (1:43.683) now down in seventh. It would seem the 2008 world champion will now remain in the pits until after lunch, which is due to be taken at 1300 local time (1200 GMT).

1115: My oh my. A fourth RED FLAG of the day and it's another spin for Felipe Massa, this time at Turn 7. I'm hearing we have a new leader atop the timesheets - the recovery truck.

BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz in Barcelona: "More bad news for McLaren. The car has an as-yet-unspecified technical problem. A hydraulics failure deprived Jenson Button of a lot of running yesterday and now it's Lewis Hamilton's turn to suffer lost track time through unreliability. It's going to take at least a couple of hours to fix; the team hope to have the car running after lunch."

1110: Thanks for that, Holty. We've also been sent a snippet from Ted on Hamilton's problems...

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Barcelona: "Luckily we happened to be down in the pit lane after Felipe Massa's slide into the gravel. The Brazilian looked glum and had his head pressed against the window of the people carrier which deposited him back at Ferrari HQ. Ferrari haven't had chance to have a proper look at the car yet but the initial reaction was that Massa just went off track, with a team spokesman adding: 'In these conditions, anything can happen.'"

Team Lotus technical chief Mike Gascoyne on Twitter: "Overcast conditions means track not drying as quickly as on day 1"

1107: Holty's sent in some news on the Massa incident that caused the day's third red flag. Coming your way very shortly.

BBC Sport's Andrew Benson: "To Michael in Fife - no driver in F1 feels obligated to stay anywhere. If by the time his contract runs out in 2012 Lewis Hamilton feels that he has better options than McLaren, I have no doubt he would pursue them. As the man widely regarded as the fastest driver in the world, he'd have no shortage of suitors, that's for sure. But we're a long way from that point."

Michael, Fife, via text on 81111: "Do you think Lewis will always feel obligated to stay at McLaren even if their designs don't live up to expectations year on year?"

1102: "Massa still heads the field"? Not sure who told you that... Perez has just set the fastest time of the day with a lap of one minutes, 41.370 seconds. Smiles in the Sauber garage no doubt.

1100: Time for a quick timsehseet update. Massa still heads the field with his lap of 1:41.375 but Sergio Perez of Sauber has shot up to second with a 1:41.455. Webber (1:41.579) is third and Ricciardo (1:41.716) fourth, with Maldonado (1:43.121) and Hamilton (1:43.683) completing the top six.

KingGorilla on Twitter: "I'm hoping we'll see the proper McLaren at the next test. Isn't there a saying 'if it looks fast, it'll be fast'..."

1048: The good ol' GREEN FLAG replaces the bad ol' red and we're off, Trulli's Lotus the first car to emerge.

BBC Sport's Andrew Benson: "To address Rui's question on McLaren, the first thing to say is that we don't know whether the McLaren is 'fulfilling expectations' yet - it has not really done enough laps to judge its performance, as Jenson Button said on Saturday. It hasn't looked great yet, but the car has spent a lot of time in the garage and once it starts running reliably, it might go like a rocket - we don't know. The car has a number of fascinating design innovations on it, but as I wrote in my blog about the McLaren car launch the question is whether the car is aerodynamically strong enough to compete with the best. For the last two years, this has been McLaren's weakness."

1045: Some more McLaren analysis coming up from Andrew Benson...

Chris Gallagher, Rochdale, via text on 81111: "Re McLaren's pace I cannot understand why they would be sand bagging, as with a new package they should be pushing to understand the car at the limit. I can commend the McLaren engineers for trying something different but I think it's a case of too much too soon, compared to Ferrari and Red Bull who have made smaller changes and continue from where they were last year."

1040: Ferrari staff quickly on the scene to cover the F150. Out come the crane and truck as Massa makes his way back to the garage.

1038: And here's our third RED FLAG of the morning. I make that three altogether and this time it's Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who currently tops the timesheets. The Brazilian appears to have spun coming into to Turn 5. No oil spill reported.

Trevor, Carrickfergus, via text on 81111: "I wouldn't judge any team at testing. Even the first race won't give an accurate prediction of who is going to be strong. Wait un until they arrive back for the Spanish GP then see the true picture. That's F1."

Rui, Reading, via text on 81111: "Any reason for McLaren not fulfilling expectations? What is so different this season in terms of car design? I am curious... Come on Lewis, show us your class!"

1025: As Petrov comes out for his first lap of the day, let's take a look at how we stand. Massa continues to lead the way after posting a time of 1:41.375 during a 15-lap stint earlier on. Ricciardo (1:41.716) is second-fastest, ahead of Webber (1:42.632), Maldonado (1:43.121) and Hamilton (1:43.683). In sixth is Rosberg (1:43.817) and seventh Sutil (1:44.468), while Perez (1:44.682), Tulli (1:45.540), Glock (1:45.917) and Petrov (1:50.391) currently occupy places eight to 11.

Dan, Lancs, via text on 81111: "After last season McLaren surely can't have another dog of a car. Red Bull Ferrari Renault must be laughing. They have all made good cars better while McLaren haven't"

Tom, Oxford, via text on 81111: "Great to see Massa back to his 2008 form! Good for the championship"

1015: The welcome sight of a GREEN FLAG means we're up and running once again, Ricciardo of Toro Rosso and McLaren's Hamilton the first men to hit the track.

1010: Another RED FLAG ladies and gentleman. It's the second we've seen today and this time results from the Sauber of Perez careering into the gravel at Turn 4. No fluids have spilt form the car but the crane and lorry are back out. In other news, the weather is starting to improve which means the track will gradually dry out and times should begin to drop.

1000: More problems for McLaren as Hamilton completes just one circuit of his 10-lap stint before returning to the pits. Button's optimism about the MP4-26 is beginning to look a tad misplaced.

0958: Webber was quick out of the blocks earlier this morning but has yet to respond to Massa's increased pace and is currently lapping in the low 1:44s. Massa's now back out after a brief visit to the Ferrari garage and he still leads the way with that 1:41.375, although Webber's just knocked out a 1:42.632 - his quickest time today. So forget what I said at the start of this entry!

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Barcelona: "Jaime Alguersuari is one of the most positive people in the paddock and the 20-year-old had good reason to be after finishing just 0.2 seconds behind Red Bull's pacesetter Sebastian Vettel on Saturday. Toro Rosso are used to living in the shadow of their bigger sister team but Alguersuari reckons his team have a real chance to shine in 2011. 'I think we have a better car than last year,' he said. 'I'm convinced that we can be in front of Sauber and Force India. Hopefully we have some upgrades coming and that's already an evolution because last year we didn't. It's definitely really nice to finish two days of testing and to see our car up there with Red Bull and Ferrari.'"

0950: Fancy another nugget from Holty?

0948: Meanwhile, Britain's Lewis Hamilton emerges from the McLaren garage to set out on a 10-lap run.

0945: I feel that Tweet is going to prompt quite a response but please don't send anything particularly political or controversial if you want it to be included in the text commentary. Gracias.

BBC F1 presenter Jake Humphrey on Twitter: "For those asking. Just because the race goes ahead doesn't mean the BBC have to be there. We'll make a call, and I know what mine will be..."

0941:Ferrari confirm Massa has completed 15 laps so far.

0940: This is a nice run from Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso's 21-year-old Australian reserve driver. He's just produced a lap of 1:41.716 to leapfrog Webber, who is now 1.353 seconds off the pace, into second. Maldonado drops down to fourth and Hamilton fifth with a quickest lap of 1:43.683, 2.308 seconds off Massa's mark of 1:41.375 in the new Ferrari F150.

Chris Savage, Manchester, via text on 81111: "Really hope there's been some sand bagging at McLaren, if that's their true pace then they are in real trouble with 1 test left before the season opener... if that goes ahead."

Steve, Brighton, via text on 81111: "I hope the McLaren isn't all show and no go, I think it's going to take them a few races to get used to the radical design of the car. Plus they have to decide which exhaust system to run. That's why the Red Bull is so good, it' simple and they made few changes from last year to keep the pace. Come on Lewis!"

BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz in Barcelona: "Felipe Massa is showing that the Ferrari has good pace in damp conditions as well as in the dry. He's bringing the lap times down from the 1.42 mark, which is approaching the crossover point of 1.40. That was a fast time on intermediate tyres from Friday's wet running - any quicker and the track will be ready for slicks. As I speak, Massa does a 1.41.3."

0927: Massa gets his top time down to 1:41.375 to lead Webber by 1.353 seconds, Maldonado by 1.746 and Hamilton by 2.308. The 2008 championship runner-up returns to the pits and Ferrari will be pleased with that run. Rosberg also comes in, so it's now just Ricciardo out on the soggy Circuit de Catalunya.

Adrian Flower via text on 81111: "As a newbie please can you explain why coverage of testing is so limited compared to a race weekend test?"
You calling my coverage "limited"? How dare you. Just messing... as mentioned in Friday's text commentary Bernie Ecclestone's Formula 1 Management (FOM) company - not the BBC - are responsible for the sport's TV pictures and they obviously don't feel broadcasting test events would make economic sense.

0918: Massa goes yet faster at the head of the field with a 1:42.080 as Rosberg goes round in 1:44.319 to join the Brazilian, Webber, Maldonado and Hamilton in the top five.

Phil Jenkins, north Wales, via text on 81111: "Time for McLaren's Lewis Hamilton to show the team how to set the car up, I don't have any faith in Jenson and his best time yesterday is not acceptable, I think he knows who the best driver in the team is hence his comment yesterday."

Steve, Gurney Slade, via text on 81111: "Wet day, couldn't be any worse for McLaren, they need all the dry running they can get ."

0910: More on that developing story as and when we get it here at BBC Towers. But for now it's back to the track and we have a GREEN FLAG which means testing is back under way. The biggest mover is Felipe Massa, who climbs to the top of the timesheets with a lap of one minute, 42.407 seconds. That's 0.3 seconds quicker than Webber's previous fastest time. Maldonado, Hamilton and Ricciardo complete the top five.

0905: ***BREAKING NEWS*** Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has told BBC Sport he will leave the decision on whether to hold the Bahrain Grand Prix to the country's Crown Prince.

0903: As Sarah points out, the first two days of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya were headlined by Sebastian Vettel and McLaren will be among the teams hoping to make ground on both Sunday and Monday. Lots of you worried about McLaren's progress with their 2011 challenger but, for what it's worth, Jenson Button feels it's too early to write off the Woking-based team.

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt in Barcelona: "Hello again. I see no reason why you shouldn't be allowed to stay in bed with a cup of tea, two chocolate biscuits and F1 testing to keep you entertained on a Sunday morning. I cannot provide the first two requirements but here in Barcelona, Ted and I will be doing our very best to keep you up to date. It has been a rather dismal start to the day here with grey clouds occasionally bursting into light drizzle. After Sebastian Vettel held sway for the first two days, his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber - the man who won the Spanish Grand Prix here last year - should be favourite to top the timings for the first time in testing. But there are plenty of others who will have something to say about that, including McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Felipe Massa. See, there's plenty to look forward to."

0858: About time we said hi to Holty, si?

0855: No spin there, he went straight off the track and, thankfully, stopped before the tyre wall. Out comes the crane and Maldonado's car, now draped in a blanket, is lifted on to a truck before being scooted over to the pits. Back under way shortly, people.

0850: It wouldn't seem right if a morning's testing in the wet passed without a RED FLAG and our first of the day duly arrives after Maldonado, who had gone second-fastest with lap of 1:43.121, puts his Williams into the gravel at Turn 5.

magnetraction on Twitter: "Maybe Lewis can show some hope today, also hoping Williams and Renault can step it up and mix it with the big boys"

Roy Davies on Twitter: "With a wet test, McLaren might be able to keep up leaders, sounds like the past couple of seasons repeating themselves!"

Allan, Edinburgh, via text on 81111: "The MP4-26 is troubling me, sleepless night last night pondering about the new design, hopefully not another disappointing season from the Woking outfit. We need Jenson and Lewis back to winning ways."

0840: The wet track obviously means slower times and Webber still leads the way with that 1:42.728. Ricciardo is second, 2.133 seconds of the pace, with Hamilton third, Trulli fourth and Maldonado completing the top five. Still awaiting a timed lap from Massa.

Team Lotus technical chief Mike Gascoyne on Twitter: "Jarno going out for a long run on full wets, and then looking to try intermediates."

Virgin Racing on Twitter: "Anyone at the circuit wants to meet at 10:00 by circuit shop behind Main Grandstand? I can give 4 people a garage tour."

0830: Trulli lays down the first timed lap of the day and it's a leisurely effort of one minute, 46.736 seconds on full wet tyres. Most of the big guns are out and about now, and Webber swiftly jumps atop the timesheets with a lap of 1:42.728.

BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz in Barcelona: "It's been raining overnight and it's a fully wet track as testing starts on Sunday morning. There is water pretty uniformly around the lap - there are no dry patches or any sign of a dry line. Everyone has been out on the intermediates tyres so far apart from the Force India. One thing that is obvious this morning is that it looks right now as if for TV viewers the intermediates are going to be much harder to spot this year. Last year, the Bridgestones had a circumferential white line in the middle of the tyre. The Pirelli doesn't have that and at speed it looks like a slick, apart from green paint on the sidewalls rather than yellow. It has to be said, though, that Pirelli has not yet announced their plans to ensure the audience can tell all the tyres apart."

0829: Most of the teams gave one their drivers free rein over the first two days. Today it's time for a bit of musical chairs. Mark Webber takes over from world champion Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull, while Ferrari pass duties over from Fernando Alonso to Felipe Massa and McLaren from Jenson Button to Lewis Hamilton. Nico Rosberg is in position for Mercedes and Vitaly Petrov for Renault, while Williams opt for Pastor Maldonado. Adrian Sutil (Force India) and Sergio Perez (Sauber) are also on the track and Daniel Ricciardo will test for Toro Rosso in the morning before Sebastien Buemi takes the baton this afternoon. Jarno Trulli (Lotus), Narain Karthikeyan (Hispania, morning), Giorgio Mondini (Hispania, afternoon) and Timo Glock (Virgin) complete the bill.

0818: OK, OK, I get the message, it's raining. Now you know how we feel here in England! The 12 teams have already been out to sample the track and get installation laps under their belts. All five days of pre-season testing to date have taken place in dry conditions, so this is a good opportunity for drivers to get a taste of the Pirelli wet and intermediate tyres. Let's see how they go.

Team Lotus technical chief Mike Gascoyne on Twitter: "Light rain and a fully wet track here in Barcelona this morning, installation lap on full wets with Jarno."

Renault GP on Twitter: "Green light in Barcelona and here comes more rain. Track is already very damp.

0810: "A few sports of rain"? Let Renault rephrase that...

Renault GP on Twitter: "A few spots of rain falling in Barca this morning. Could we be in for some wet running? It's Vitaly in the car today, Nick tomorrow."

Mercedes GP on Twitter: "Good morning and welcome to day 3 of this week's test! Some rain yesterday evening and an overcast start to the day so far."

0805: Coffee and croissants at the ready? Good. It's day three of the Barcelona test event and you've got me for company over the next nine or so hours. I'm hearing reports of overnight rain and a fully wet track at the Circuit de Catalunya. Cagoules at the ready?

0800: You know the Formula 1 season is drawing ever closer when you start treating the drive to work like several laps of the Circuit de Monaco. Sadly, Harlesden town centre doesn't quite carry the same ambiance as Monte Carlo, but you get the picture. I'm excited. Very excited. Although I must add that at no point did my speedometer surpass 30mph. Promise.