Image source, Suzi Perry

You can catch Murray Walker and Suzi Perry on F1 Rewind today on BBC Two at 14:30 BST.

Image source, Getty Images

Happy birthday to legendary commentator Murray Walker, who is 92 today.

Amazing to think that his first race commentary pre-dates the F1 world championship itself, having commentated on the 1949 British Grand Prix.

Legend.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, Getty Images

"There are better ways to celebrate a major career milestone than McLaren and Honda have provided for Fernando Alonso this weekend. It is the Spaniard’s 250th race meeting of an illustrious F1 career - although it will only be his 248th or 249th grand prix. He did not take the start of the 2005 US Grand Prix and the question mark about counting surrounds the 2001 Belgian race, from which he retired before a major crash involving Luciano Burti led to a restart which was classified as a new race. Technically, therefore, he did not take part, according to the FIA’s system, although clearly he did. (Technically, incidentally, Niki Lauda also did not take part for the same reasons in the 1976 German Grand Prix, in which he suffered his fiery crash. But, as Lauda himself puts it: ‘What happened to my ear, then.’)

“Anyway, statistical anomalies aside, while McLaren provided the whole team with celebratory samurai-themed Alonso head bands for a photocall on Friday morning, and staged an event on Friday evening which most drivers and senior figures attended, Alonso has been ill-served by Honda, as has been the case all year. 

“Fitting a new, upgraded engine, which was then taken out and replaced by an old one after first practice, means a grand total of 35 grid places as a penalty. Alonso will start this major landmark event from the back, with little prospect of progress, despite some superb laps in the wet on Friday which BBC F1 commentator Ben Edwards described as ‘heroic’, adding: ‘This is one of the few times Alonso has a chance to remind everyone just how good he is.’”

The rain fell yesterday but a dry weekend is in prospect, which means final practice should be jam-packed with action as teams look to get themselves set up for both qualifying and the race.

How are the skies above Sochi looking today?

Coverage of final practice is live on BBC Two and BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, with both getting under way at 09:55 BST.

You can also watch and listen online via this very page.

Anyway, time to move on! It is Saturday and that, of course, means qualifying day for the Russian Grand Prix.

First up, final practice. That gets under way at 10:00 BST and lasts for one hour, with qualifying taking place at 13:00 BST.

How bad was Friday? We were getting tweets from teams of pictures of bats. That's how bad.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, Rex

“Friday in Russia has to go down as the least eventful day’s action this season - and quite a few other seasons as well, for that matter. 

"A diesel spillage on track overnight, courtesy of an inappropriately named cleaner truck, and then rain in the second session meant running was at a minimum, and lessons learned were even less. 

"But, as in Suzuka two weeks ago, every cloud has a silver lining, and it means that Saturday morning’s final practice session will be jam-packed with action as teams try to make up lost time. 

"Nico Rosberg predicted after practice that Ferrari would be ‘close’ to Mercedes on this track. We’re about to get an idea out whether the battle for pole will be between two or three drivers.”

Nico Rosberg found it boring...

Image source, AP

...Felipe Massa fell asleep....

...file Friday under forgettable in Sochi because it was a day of very, very, very little action.

The upshot? Things should be a lot more interesting today...