Image source, Getty Images

The fans at Suzuka have always been great, and really add to the buzz of the entire weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Not sure I agree with the fan on the right and his thoughts on Ruben Barrichello's smile. It looks like it is fighting a losing cause on his face here...

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Here's a few more pictures of the fantastic fans at Suzuka. Great scenes.

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at Suzuka

Image source, Getty Images

“The clouds of Friday have cleared, at least in the literal sense, but the metaphorical ones hanging over Jenson Button’s future in Formula 1 remain stubbornly persistent.

In a news conference on Friday, McLaren chief operating officer Jonathan Neale said: ‘We’re contracted with him, we want him to stay, we like him very much. But if your driver doesn’t really want to be in the seat we have to respect that. I really hope that we have done enough between us to continue those discussions with him and have the confidence to have him with us.’

“The bottom line is that Button has a contract for next year, unless McLaren decide to exercise their option to let him go - and their normal option date is 30 September. If they do not exercise it, he is contracted to drive for them in 2016. Of course, Button could decide he has had enough - of F1, of McLaren-Honda’s struggles, and, particularly, of McLaren chief Ron Dennis. And it seems his quotes suggesting he is equivocal about staying are part of a negotiating strategy. But giving up a seat in F1 is not an easy decision for any driver, especially someone who is still capable of competing with the best, especially when - according to sources close to the situation - in an ideal world he does not want to leave.

“Out on track, Button says it is ‘not going to be an easy qualifying, because it is quite a power circuit here’.”

Just got up? Yet to go to bed? However you have found yourself awake and following the action from Suzuka, here is what is coming up in the next few hours.

Final practice is at 04:00 BST and live on BBC Two, with qualifying getting under way at 07:00. Build-up to that begins on BBC One at 06:00.

Commentary on qualifying is also available on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer at Suzuka

Image source, Andrew Benson

"Saturday dawned dry, the heavy grey clouds of Friday replaced by wisps of white in a pastel blue sky. 

"After the insistent rain of first and second practice, Friday’s final session will be hectic, as Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg put it, as teams try to get all their set-up work, for race and qualifying, done in one short hour. 

"It promises to be thrill-a-minute; don’t take your eyes off it.”

Image source, Getty Images

Hello and welcome to qualifying day for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Let's just forget Friday ever happened, shall we? A day of rain at Suzuka meant that, bar getting in a little wet-weather driving practice in, drivers did very little on the circuit in the two practice sessions.

Today is a very different prospect. 

With just one hour of practice for teams and drivers to get themselves set up for qualifying and Sunday's race, they will want to get as much running as possible done in the final hour of practice, which gets under way at 04:00 BST.

Image source, Getty Images/Mercedes

So, what did we learn from Friday practice?

That Lotus is still homeless at Suzuka. That you can buy biscuits at Suzuka that look like asphalt and that Japanese F1 fans REALLY love hats with car parts on them.

But as for the performance of the cars? Diddly-squat, as Lewis Hamilton put it. All thanks to the rain.

However, things could become a lot more interesting today...