Welcome to Suzuka for the rescheduled qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix. It should be a brilliant action packed day today, and guess what.... it isn't raining.

It's very early (or very late) for those of us watching in Europe but I promise you it will be worth the effort to get up.

If you want to send in any questions or make any comments, please feel free by clicking on the link at the bottom of this window. Also if you are concerened I might have fallen asleep, please try and wake me up.

Let's get on with the serious stuff.

Lewis Hamilton has been handed a five-place grid penalty for changing his gearbox overnight, seriously denting his championship chances.

Bronwyn says: "It's nice for us, here in Australia, to have qualifying in the middle of the day, not the middle of the night, for a change!"

I'm sure, I now feel your pain for the European season!

A slight technical glitch, but I'm back with you as the session gets underway.

The track is damp and it's slick tyre weather.

Petrov is the first driver to complete a flying lap and sets a 1:38.957. It's immediately beaten by Hulkenberg.

Buemi runs wide in the final chicane, he was on a decent lap but just locked up on the slightly damp track.

Massa is out on the hard tyre, some people are saying there is as much as 0.9 seconds between soft and hard this weekend.

Schumacher and Alonso go wheel-to-wheel through the 130R, the Ferrari was so much faster and eventually got by.

Barrichello is now fastest with a 1:32.317. Times should improve dramatically.

Webber and Vettel are now leaving the garage.

Of course, the big question is who will drop out with the new teams in this session. Buemi is currently the closest to them, having set a competitive lap.

Hamilton starts his flying lap. Lots of understeer in the second corner but the car is better hooked up through the esses. He's some way off the pace through sector one but this is his first lap on the hard tyres.

Hamilton's time is only good enough for 13th but expect a better lap now.

Alonso is fifth fastest on hard tyres.

Webber goes third fastest on his first flying lap. But Vettel goes fastest of all. Both Red Bulls are on hard tyres but stil very, very quick.

Kubica is now out on track so he should jump up the timing screens soon. Buemi has gone back out to try and get out of the drop zone.

Button pops up to eighth. He's been struggling a bit this weekend but should be in the fight for a top six grid slot.

Kubica jumps up to 13th on his first lap on hard tyres.

Vettel is on another very fast lap.

Buemi is set to improve and move his way up the order. That will drop Alguersuari to 18th.

The two Williams cars look quick at the moment but I believe those times were set on soft tyres.

Alguersuari has dropped Buemi back into the drop zone. The Swiss has had a poor first sector but should get one more attempt.

Trulli leads the battle of the new teams and is lining himself up for one more attempt.

Vettel is back in the pits. Job done.

Rosberg is looking very quick, presumably on the soft tyres but I haven't seen that to confirm it. He was fastest of all in the last two sectors.

Buemi has had a poor middle sector and is out of qualifying.

So Lotus lead the battle of the new teams and Alguersuari beats his Toro Rosso team-mate to make it into Q2.

Rishi asks: "What is the exact rules with penalties in terms of gearboxes and engines? Does changing the parts between quali and the race impose the penalty, and If so, how come Lewis got the penalty even though quali did not take place?"

A gearbox has to last four races. If it is changed at any point in that time the driver takes a penalty. The only exception is if it breaks during a race and causes a retirement - that is considered a big enough penalty.

Roger the Cabinboy says: "It's ok for Bronwyn but it's 4 AM here in Crete and I can hear my wife frowning in the dark for getting up and disturbing her."

Al: "Lewis changed his gearbox (not just another pretty driver then Eh), I thought they had mechanics for that. LOL"

It's still very early in London for me!

Steve asks: "Is it worth pushing the limit during quali and risk damaging the car with no time for repairs?? Or hold back to be sure you make it to the start, for the 5 contenders?"

I'm sure they will all push to the limit. Red Bull should take pole with ease but there is still a fierce battle between Webber and Vettel. Hamilton really does have to push hard with his five place penalty. Overtaking is pretty tough here in the dry so they have to do the hard work now.

Q2 is underway and the two Ferraris are out first.

Sam asks: "Does McLaren still have their update on the car?"

Yep, but they have decided not to run the new rear wing as they couldn't establish if it was actually helping. They have an F-duct upgrade but it wasn't working on Friday so they are going with their normal one. They also have remapped the engine to aid the blown diffuser under braking. And - one more - an updated front wing is on both cars.

All in all, not a good weekend for McLaren so far.

Alonso clocks a 1:32.819 on hard tyres. Webber is on a very fast lap immediately.

Webber sets a 1:31.651, maybe not as fast as he should have been in sectors one and two.

Button is just a tenth off Webber after a very good final sector. The trick for the front runners will be to finish this session without using a set of softs.

Vettel's 1:31.812 is only good enough for third but he did make a big mistake at the hairpin.

Some drivers are reporting that the hard tyre is actually faster because of the lack of grip on the circuit and the soft graining up.

The Ferraris are out on soft tyres. We are waiting for the rest. Massa needs to improve as he is 11th fastest at the moment.

Rob asks: "Other than the tires they finish quali in, do the drivers still use any of the quali tires during the race or are they all new sets?"

Usually they make just one change and those will be new.

Massa has a big moment in the opening corners of the lap but quickly catches the slide. And another mistake in the final chicane leaves him 0.010 out of the top ten.

Massa is up against the likes of Schumacher, Kubica, Hulkenberg and Petrov to stay in qualifying.

Kobayashi is out, Massa's latest lap is a little better but still might not be good enough.

Schumacher looks as though he could be going out.

Massa is out of qualifying, bad news for Ferrari.

A great middle sector puts Schumacher through. Heidfeld and Petrov are out.

The top five are the top five championship contenders. But the pecking order looks clear. Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.

Charalampos: "I am from Creta and woke up at 4 o clock too. I thought I was all alone. But my situation is worse. I am here for vacations and stay at a friend, without tv or internet and I am now outside a big hotel with my laptop stealing wi fi access and electricity from it. "

That is dedication.

Q3 has started. The question is what tyres they will use. Red Bull look good on the hards and they will last longer in the race. However, the softs surely must be faster over one lap.

Hamilton is out first on soft tyres, followed by Alonso on the softs.

Webber joins the track and he is also on soft tyres, as is Vettel. It looks as though Hulkenberg might go for the hard in the hope that he can gain a strategic advantage in the race.

Hamilton sets a 1:31.320. Not amazing.

Alonso sets a 1:31.411 but both he and Hamilton will return to the pits for another set of tyres and another go.

Vettel is on a brilliant lap, 0.3 seconds faster than Webber in sector 1.

Vettel sets an amazing lap of 1:30.792. 0.4 seconds up on his team-mate Webber in second.

Button is going to have just one lap, a strange decision but he is going out on hard tyres. He's doing a three lap run to try and get the best from those tyres. He looks hooked up but is 0.7 off Vettel in the first sector.

Hamilton and Alonso head back out on the softs.

Brilliant middle and final sectors for Button and he is fourth fastest. Just 0.58 off Hamilton, this could be a brilliant decision by Button as his tyres warm up and the fuel comes down on the next two laps.

Good lap for Hulkenberg in sixth.

Hamilton is on his flying lap and is a bit wobbly in the first sector.

Webber has started his lap but can't match Vettel in sector one.

Hamilton pops up to second to put the pressure on Webber.

Alonso can only manage fifth as Kubica moves up to fourth.

Webber misses pole by less than a tenth but Vettel improves anyway.

So Vettel on pole, Webber second and Kubica third after Hamilton's penalty, which will see him start eighth.