Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Max Verstappen led a Red Bull one-two in qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix with McLaren's Lando Norris best of the rest.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was fourth, his team-mate Charles Leclerc eighth, and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso fifth.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri was sixth ahead of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, whose team-mate George Russell was ninth.

Japanese Yuki Tsunoda delighted home fans packed into the glorious Suzuka circuit with 10th place.

Read the full report here

Max Verstappen on pole position, Sergio Perez in second and the McLaren of Lando Norris in third: Will that combination stay the top three and be celebrating on the podium by breakfast time on Sunday?

Thanks for joining us today, folks. We'll be back up and running at 05:45 BST tomorrow with live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and at the top of the live page.

Enjoy your Saturday!

Jennie Gow, Jolyon Palmer, Bec Clancy & Andrew Benson look ahead to the Japanese Grand Prix here

The team will also have a qualifying review from today's action which will be available to listen to via the Chequered Flag podcast page here

Image source, BBC Sport

If you have any questions about the weekend in Japan so far, please send them through to BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson.

And remember, you can ask Andrew anything F1-related.

Send your questions via the link here

Image source, Getty Images

Britain’s Lando Norris will start P3 Suzuka in the McLaren, he said: “It’s always exciting, you don’t get many chances but we had a good car today we could fight, I did some good laps especially in Q3, I’m very happy with today. It’s always enjoyable here in front of the fans and a good one for us at McLaren, we had a good one last year and a good race last weekend so it’s nice to still be here.”

McLaren are typically competitive at this track, he added: “We’ve had a good car all weekend, we've made some good steps forward, we are trying to catch up to these two Red Bulls. The whole team is doing a good job so fair play to them, but we are working hard and the hard work is paying off slowly, we will keep pushing, today is a good start to the weekend and tomorrow is the main job."

Image source, Getty Images

Red Bull's Sergio Perez, who starts on the front row alongside team-mate Max Verstappen: "It was close with Max today. I had a good lap.

"It was quite tricky out there; especially closing out the laps, it was quite easy to lose a couple of tenths into the last section and chicane. We put it all together but unfortunately, it was not enough.

On whether pole position was possible: "Yeah, it has been really close all weekend, in qualifying as well, and when you are in that little margins and anything can make a difference. I didn't have a great exit on the opening up the lap, so that could've been the difference.

"I think we are in a good position for tomorrow. Our long-run pace hasn't been that good, but hopefully we are able to be strong."

Max Verstappen, who takes his 36th career pole position, said: “It was quite close at the end this track overall is quite sensitive to the tyres with the tarmac being really aggressive, and when you want to go to the limit it doesn’t always work out, but nonetheless I think the most important thing is being on pole.

"Of course you want every lap to be perfect but around a track like this that is not always the case but overall a good day, and a good starting position for tomorrow and tomorrow is what counts.

“I mean it’s great as a team to be P1 and P2 and hopefully we can keep that going for tomorrow.”

Of course, I meant 'tiger' in the 08:08 entry.

Tony the tiger.

Damn.

That was not grrreat.

Please pelt me with down thumbs like rotten tomatoes.

Let's move on and see what the drivers had to say...

Can Sergio Perez hold off the McLaren of Lando Norris tomorrow and bring home another race one-two for Red Bull? Can Norris keep his podium spot, or will Melbourne winner Carlos Sainz secure another top-three finish?

Lights out on Sunday are at 06:00 BST. Enjoy our lie-in.

Former F1 driver Jean Alesi is performing the post-qualifying interviews and the Frenchman asks Sergio Perez: "What did you eat for breakfast today? A lion?!" Change that to 'tiger' and it could've been a good plug for Frosties (other cereals are available).

Full quotes from the top three to come...

11. Daniel Ricciardo (RB)

12. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

13. Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)

14. Alex Albon (Williams)

15. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

17. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

18. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

19. Logan Sargeant (Williams)

20. Zhou Guanyu (Sauber)

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 1:28.197

2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

3. Lando Norris (McLaren)

4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

9. George Russell (Mercedes)

10. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

"Not bad, not bad, I mean it could have been a better lap but it doesn't matter, still P1."

Next to cross the line is Fernando Alonso and the Aston Martin driver goes to P5, pushing birthday boy Oscar Piastri down to sixth place. George Russell is searching for pace to lift himself higher than ninth.

Harry Benjamin
BBC F1 Commentator

Lando Norris in the McLaren putting in a spectacular lap early doors to split the two Red Bulls and it's certainly looking more and more that Norris is the next best.

Sergio Perez is definitely pushing his world champion team-mate but the Mexican can't land the pole blow. Perez moves up to second place but Max Verstappen improves to stay at the front of the pack.

"That's the best that I can do honestly I don't get it."

Provisional pole is in the hands of Max Verstappen for the fourth race in a row in 2024.

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

Relative to the field he (Alonso) overachieves in the first part of qualifying then appears to slip back often in the second part of qualifying.