Welcome to the all-important qualifying session for the Korean Grand Prix. We're set for a brilliant session after the top four drivers were separated by less than a tenth of a second in final practice. What's more they were all driving different cars. Kubica was on top but any of the championship protagonists stand a chance of taking pole position.

It should be a completely dry session although there are still forecasts of rain for tomorrow. It's currently a little overcast with air temperature around 23C

Lotus' Mike Gascoyne says: "5 mins to go before qualifying, should be a really interesting session throughout the grid. Overcast but dry"

The drivers are ready in their cars, the engines will be fired up pretty soon.

Christian Horner tells the BBC that he is expecting a very tight session and says the emphasis will be on finding a clean lap without traffic.

Kovalainen is the first to head out on track in his Lotus

The rest of the drivers are staying in the pits for now. The later they set a lap, the better the track conditions will be.

Cars are beginning to head out now, most will complete one banker lap before setting a second time.

Kovalainen sets a time of 1:45.450 to get us underway.

The best time in final practice was 1:37.354, so we can expect similar, probably even quicker, times by Q3.

Schumacher sets a banker with a 1:40.557 probably on harder tyres.

Expect times to tumble in this opening ten minutes as the hard tyres warm up and offer their best grip on the second or third lap.

Petrov is already a second faster than Alguersuari's lap through the first sector.

Hamilton sets a 1:38.561 on the hard tyres.

Yellow flag at turn 14 and that has ruined Alonso's lap. We didn't see the incident.

Hamilton goes fastest again on a 1:37.517, nearly equalling Kubica's morning time but on hard tyres.

Alonso is now fastest after a clean lap and sets a 1:37.395.

Lots of mistakes out there at the moment. Kobayahsi at turn nine and Glock at the off-camber turn 13.

Vettel goes second fastest with a time less than a tenth off Hamilton.

Riding on-board with Hamilton it's possible to hear the exhaust feeding the blown diffuser when he is off throttle and under braking. It's working and he's set a new best lap with a 1:37.113.

Vettel is 0.010 off Hamilton. Button has only done a time good enough for 14th. He's unlikely to drop out but will want to be going a fair bit quicker than that.

Heidfeld, Liuzzi, Buemi and Alguersuari are likely candidates to drop out with the six new team drivers.

Button only improves to tenth.

Kubica has come up behind Senna but can't get past as the HRT is on a hot lap and not willing to yeild.

The two Mercedes are currently the fastest through the speed trap.

The top six cars have returned to the pits, happy with their times.

Heidfeld gets himself out of the dropzone, Liuzzi and Sutil are now under pressure.

Liuzzi is on a better lap this time around. But he's losing out in sector two still. The lap overall is good enough for 16th.

But Liuzzi could drop back into the drop zone as Sutil is on a fast lap to replace him... and he does, but Liuzzi has one more lap.

Liuzzi is up on Heidfeld and looks likely to be beaten.

Liuzzi must have made a big mistake in the final sector and is out in Q1.

Button is tenth but says he is struggling with the front tyres locking.

Martin says: "By the look of the track while watching Freepractice 3 this afternoon, I'd say its all going to end in tears. Keep up the great work."

It is starting to look a bit shabby around the edges and is also folding in the heavy braking zones and becoming rather bumpy.

Q2 is underway, Alguersuari, Massa and Hulkenberg are out first.

Kubica is confident, heading out on hard tyres for the start of this session.

All the front runners are out on track now and will likely complete two runs in this session.

Hamilton locks his front left into turn one and ruins his lap straight away by running wide.

Alonso has set a 1:37.096 to set an early benchmark on hard tyres in this session.

Massa sets a 1:36.672 on soft tyres, showing the difference between the two compounds.

Vettel and Webber are on top now with Vettel on a 1:36.457.

Button is out on the soft tyres and has set the ninth fastest time, he will be fighting to make it through to Q3.

Heidfeld has a set of new soft tyres to head out on. He will complete just one run.

Correction: Button's time was on hard tyres, so he should be able to find a few more tenths on softs to secure a place in Q3.

We're likely to see Sutil, the two Saubers, the two Toro Rossos and a Williams or Petrov drop out in this session.

Heidfled is on his quick lap now.

Heidfeld's first attempt is well off the pace but he should get a couple of more runs in. Kobayashi is also off the pace.

Alonso goes fastest as Sutil struggles to find the pace for Q3.

Webber makes a mistake into turn one but will get another attempt and is safe anyway.

Button is 0.7 off the pace but should make Q3.

Petrov has spun and ruined his chances of making Q3 with a spin that would have flat spotted all four of his tyres.

Hulkenberg is out in Q2.

Meanwhile, Webber has set the fastest time at the front.

Hulkenberg ran wide and ruined his last run on a lap that would probably have beaten team-mate Barrichello and secured him a place in Q3.

Renault says: "Vitaly P15, that means P20 tomorrow with the penalty carried over from Suzuka."

Ferrari explains why Massa is in a better position after Q2: "Now in Q3 Felipe has only one set of new soft tyres while Fernando has two available"

Q3 is under way. Two runs for most drivers, two chances to set the perfect lap around this circuit. Webber is out first on soft tyres.

Barrichello is complaining that Schumacher held him up and is asking for a steward inquiry.

Vettel heads out a little later than the other top five in the title chase.

Webber runs just a touch wide in turn one but no major damage done to his first sector time. Having said that, it has cost him a few tenths compared to Alonso and Hamilton.

Webber is slightly scrappy in the second sector and Hamilton is 0.8 seconds quicker.

Alonso sets a 1:35.927 to go quickest quite comfortably.

Vettel is on a charge now but lost 0.5 seconds in the first sector to Alonso.

Vettel second fastest and 0.07 off Alonso.

Button ran wide in turn 13, ruining his lap and briniging dirt back onto the track.

Hamilton very nearly lost it going into the pits and has to take to the grass to make the entrance.

Webber wants to be the first to set his time, possibly with enough fuel for two laps.

Massa is just having one attempt and is on his first lap now. He will be fuelled for at least one more after that.

Vettel is going to be the last man to set a time as he is leaving the pits now.

Webber nails turn one on this attempt, much better.

He's 0.5 seconds down in the first sector but the Red Bull is supreme in sectors two and three. He runs a touch wide in nine and is a little out of shape. Second place.

Alonso goes even quicker with a 1:35.766.

Hamilton only good enough for fourth. Kubica can only manage seventh.

Vettel could take pole with a good final sector... and he does it by 0.181. Webber is second, just 0.07 off his team-mate.

So Red Bull put the laps together when it was needed and are sitting pretty for tomorrow's race. But there isn't much in it and Ferrari has good race pace plus 0.5 seconds of lap time through the first sector.

Make sure you check back for all the post-qualifying reaction this afternoon and, of course, the race tomorrow.