Here's a reminder of how today is going to work. Qualifying begins at 09:00 GMT will be split into three sections. The first will last 18 minutes and see the slowest five drivers knocked out. A further five will be eliminated after a second session lasting 15 minutes. That leaves 10 to fight it out for pole in a 12-minute session.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Sepang

"Williams are expecting - and expected - to battle with Ferrari all season for second place behind Mercedes but they did not have a good day on Friday. Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa were 0.3secs and 0.4secs respectively off Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen on one-lap pace but were double that on race pace. Williams were losing 0.4secs in Turns 13 and 14 alone and hope they can get it back with some changes they have made overnight."

Image source, Sauber

What have the teams been up to in the 70 minutes or so since practice finished? Getting some much-needed laundry done.

The air temperature is 34C at the moment and after an hour of pounding the track in the sweaty confines of a Formula 1 car cockpit, those clothes need an airing...

Image source, Marca

Spanish daily Marca's front cover leads on Fernando Alonso, with bold lettering proclaiming 'the truth of Alonso'.

The article, under the sub heading 'driver confirms steering fault theory', reads: "The driver was very clear about something he had felt from the offset, but which inexplicably, nobody wanted to believe.

"The cause of the accident was in no way the most surprising news; instead it was all the ridiculous comments made about it. The conflicting reports released immediately after the accident are proof of this, with McLaren shining very little light on the matter - if anything, the complete opposite."

BBC weatherman Ian Fergusson:, external Dry flow (40% rel. hum) for now, but shower risk nxt 2hrs if wind turns W/S/SW & brings moist sea breeze.

Image source, Getty Images

Mercedes have been on pole for the last 12 races. The record for successive poles is 24 (Williams 1992/93).

So could pole position for Mercedes be under threat today? Or am I just talking nonsense? They've surely got more in the bag than they have been showing.

What do you think? Fire over your qualifying top three predictions to #bbcf1, external, text on 81111 (UK only) or have you say on the BBC Sport Facebook and Google+ pages.

Just woken up? Here is a quick summary of what's happened so far today:

• Nico Rosberg fastest in third practice, Lewis Hamilton second

• Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen best of the rest, 0.555s off Rosberg

• Lots of drivers complain about lack of grip in FP3

• A '90% chance of thunderstorms' for the start of qualifying

The Chain has just blasted out on BBC One to signal the start of the qualifying show, tune in now.

That shot of lightning in my opening entry is not real time, by the way. For dramatic purposes only. It is boiling hot and sunny at the moment, although there is apparently a strong chance of thunderstorms for qualifying, when it gets under way at 09:00 GMT.

Image source, Getty Images

Welcome to our coverage of qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

After a routine win for Lewis Hamilton at the season opening race in Australia, Mercedes look to have picked up from where they had left after dominating practice in Sepang.

But a win for either Hamilton or Nico Rosberg might not be so straightforward.

Ferrari have looked fast, Hamilton has had some reliability issues, while a track that is struggling for grip and the ever present threat of rain means we could be in for an interesting session of qualifying...

Image source, Getty Images

You would have to go back to the end of July last year for the last time Mercedes failed to lock out the front row.

However, could there be a storm brewing in Malaysia? And not just in the sky...

Right then, time to rest the old typing fingers for 45 minutes but keep your television screens on BBC Two as the fantastically voiced Sir Patrick Stewart tells the story of Sir Stirling Moss's glittering career.

We'll be revving up our coverage at 08:00, coinciding with qualifying build up on BBC One and 5 live sports extra.

Bye for now.

Image source, Getty Images

Scenes like this on the horizon? Probably not as bad, but this is Malaysia, anything can happen.

Alan Cohen: Ferrari might win a race but only if Mercedes have a DNF. Can't see any other team challenging them otherwise though.

Tony Marks: Why are Honda so far off the pace, given they had about 12 months before the start of the first race to prepare.

Sam & guidedog Tango: Steady enough practice 3. #bbcf1 hoping for even more competitive times in quali.

Mercedes, Mercedes, Ferrari, Ferrari. A familiar feel to the top of the timesheet at the end of third practice.

There are things, though, that could have a big say in qualifying and the race. Plenty of drivers struggled with their cars today, locking up and complaining of a lack of grip, while Lee McKenzie reckons there is a 90% chance of thunderstorms for the start of qualifying, which gets under way in just under two hours.

1) Rosberg 2) Hamilton 3) Raikkonen 4) Vettel 5) Massa 6) Bottas 7) Ricciardo 8) Sainz 9) Verstappen 10) Ericsson

11) Grosjean 12) Maldonado 13) Kvyat 14) Hulkenberg 15) Alonso 16) Perez 17) Nasr 18) Button 19) Merhi 20) Stevens

Image source, Formula 1

NICO ROSBERG FINISHES FASTEST IN THIRD PRACTICE FOR THE MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX.

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, P1 and P2 respectively, are back in the Mercedes garage just before the chequered flag is waved.

Daniel Ricciardo puts the medium tyre through its paces, racking up 11 laps on the compound before heading into the pits.

Fernando Alonso is wasting no time in getting reacquainted with the McLaren, he goes P12 with a 1:41.991. Solid.

One minute to go.