Lando Norris thinks it's going to be "a wet one" but "should be a good one to watch", while Fernando Alonso tells Sky Sports his Alpine "was more competitive in the wet compared to the dry" after topping a soggy first practice on Friday.

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There was not a dry eye in the house after Sebastian Vettel gave a passionate farewell to a track he says he adores as a racing driver.

Vettel celebrated five pole positions and four victories here and lifted the second of his four championships at the race here in 2011.

"This track is just so much better than all the other ones," said Vettel over the team radio after qualifying in ninth. "Arigato gozaimasu, Suzuka. Thank you."

And then just to finish us all off emotionally, he added: "I will miss this place. But we have tomorrow to score some points."

Sam Bird
Formula E driver on Chequered Flag qualifying review

Suzuka is a very special place to go racing. The fans are awesome, the track itself is magnificent. So many iconic corners that are steeped in history within Formula 1.

Image source, Getty Images

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Yuki Tsunoda on starting at his home Grand Prix: "It's very special. Unfortunately the weather is like this, it will be challenging but I always feel the massive support. I'm looking forward to it for sure and hoping for some points. We have to be be disciplined and stay on the track."

'The intermediates die quite quickly here,' says McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl to Sky Sports.

Max Verstappen has feedback for his Red Bull team after completing a practice start.

"What a disaster start! Unbelievable," says the Dutchman.

With a second title in his sights today and after suffering a less-than-perfect getaway off the line from eighth on the grid last weekend in Singapore, could it be a nervy race for the world champion at Suzuka?

Sam Bird
Formula E driver on Chequered Flag qualifying review

It would be fascinating to see a GPS comparison between Mercedes and the likes of Alpine because they are losing so much time in a straight line.

When they are going down the front straight they are losing time, when they climb up the hill out of the fast left-hander winding up towards the end of sector one, they are losing time. When they go out of the straight towards 130R, they are losing time.

The speed that they get scrubbed when they are going through 130R seems to be a lot greater than some, if not all, their main competitors.

Through the corners they are not terrible, or on par at least with Alpine, but on a straight line they do seem to be struggling at the moment.

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George Russell called it "another tough Saturday" after ending his qualifying session in eighth spot but added with rain on the way, "anything is possible."

Mercedes were never really in the fight with the front three and team-mate Lewis Hamilton only managed to fare two places better than Russell in sixth.

Fernando Alonso and his Alpine is the driver between the pair in seventh.

"We are losing at least six-tenths or something on the straights compared to the other guys but through the corners, through the lap, it was still a fun lap to drive," said Hamilton.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

The rain has already arrived.

In a wet start, teams think the chances of a standing start are low, as in the rain on Friday it was apparent that there was a lot more standing water on the right-hand side of the grid than the left.

Race control is aware of that and of the potential consequences for unfairness.

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With Pierre Gasly slipping into the space created at Alpine after Fernando Alonso decided to move to Aston Martin, who takes the seat at Alpha Tauri?

Dutchman Nyck de Vries will now be keeping Yuki Tsunoda company at Red Bull's sister team next season.

De Vries, the 2021 champion of the all-electric Formula E series and Mercedes reserve driver, emerged as a candidate after Alpha Tauri's attempts to recruit IndyCar star Colton Herta failed.

"I've had a lot of chances to experience the 2022 car this year and I think that has put me in a great position for the upcoming season," said the 27-year-old.

"I hope this has helped to prepare me for what is to come."

Sam Bird
Formula E driver on Chequered Flag qualifying review

A big scalp for Esteban Ocon to out-qualify his senior driver in Fernando Alonso. We all thought Fernando would be the one taking it to some of the big teams this weekend, but it was actually his [Alpine] team-mate.

Esteban has been driving extremely well and he has been right on the tail of Fernando. I think Fernando this year has been exceptional but he has lost a lot of points [due to reliability]. In qualifying, though, the plaudits go to his team-mate.

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Contrasting fortunes for the soon-to-be Alpine team-mates in the dry conditions at Suzuka.

Pierre Gasly, who qualified in P17 but now starts from the pit lane, suffered an early bath in Q1 as an issue with his brakes hindered the Alpha Tauri man during the session.

But the Frenchman was furious over the team radio after his exit, stating he was let out of the garage and into traffic on his out lap, while the team "waited a bit longer" when it came to Yuki Tsunoda, who was also grappling with a brakes issue.

Esteban Ocon, meanwhile, tweeted he can't wait for today's race after qualifying in fifth place at his "favourite track."

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Pierre Gasly on his move to Alpine next year: "It's a big change in my career and I'm closing a nine year chapter with Red Bull and starting a new chapter with Alpine"

"Alpine keep evolving and progressing every season, there is really good sign of competitiveness in the team.

"It was a clear call and it was they right time for me to take my career and start an incredible story with Alpine.

"The experience in this team is incredible and there is a reason why they are competitive. they have everything they need to fight at the front."

This will almost be like Formula 1 therapy at Alpine next season as Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, who were good mates during their karting days before things turned, join forces at the French team.

"Esteban was very supportive, Pierre as well," said team principal Otmar Szafnauer. "They're professionals. And they have no issue we're working together.

"And hopefully the friendship will rekindle - they were friends at one point. But from a professional perspective, they're both very happy to work with each other."

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Speaking of the Frenchman...

Pierre Gasly will join Esteban Ocon in an all-French line-up at Alpine from 2023.

Alpha Tauri's Gasly leaves Red Bull for the first time in his career after it agreed to release him from his contract.

"Driving for a team that has French roots is something very special," he said. "I know the strengths of Alpine having raced against them over the past couple of years and, clearly, their progress and ambition is very impressive."

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

New-spec rear wing and front wing ballast for Pierre Gasly for the race means the Alpha Tauri driver is required to start from the pit lane.

Sam Bird
Formula E driver on Chequered Flag qualifying review

Max Verstappen is in imperious form. He is soon to be a two-time world champion and is driving with the utmost confidence, but qualifying was very, very close.

It was his to lose but I think Charles Leclerc will be feeling the same. He was two-and-a-half tenths up going into the final chicane, but by the time you get to the line you a one hundredth down - he is going to be a little bit wounded by that one I think.

We saw a drenched Singapore Grand Prix last weekend and the forecast for Suzuka is a mixed bag - a prospect Charles Leclerc sitting in P2 is excited about.

After qualifying, the Monegasque driver said: "It's a very tricky lap here. When you are fast in the first sector you lose out in the last sector and I was trying to find that balance in the last lap, but lost the tyres and little bit of time in the last sector.

"It's so close with everyone and we'll try to have a good race tomorrow."