Welcome to Suzuka for the first practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix. I'm currently stationed in London where it is the middle of the night. But fear not, I have my two cans of Red Bull (not that we have any bias at ESPNF1) at the ready to help me guide you through the next 90 minutes of action.

If you have any questions or want to comment, please feel free to get in touch by clicking on the link at the bottom of this window.

It's rather cloudy overhead but no signs of rain just yet. Rain is forecast for tomorrow but we might get away with a dry session today. Some teams are saying Saturday's weather could be so bad that qualifying has to be called off altogether.

New bits and pieces have been added to the Red Bull and the McLaren, I'll try to keep you updated on exactly what as details come through from the pit lane.

Vettel is in his cockpit and has a Japanese-flag style helmet for this weekend's grand prix. Hulkenberg and Button also have new helmets for this weekend.

The session is underway and Alguersuari leads the cars out onto the track.

Plenty of other cars are heading out onto track for a quick installation lap of this fabulous 3.6 mile circuit.

Here's Liuzzi's programme for the morning: "Tonio out for install laps. His programme this morning is set up work and aero evaluation"

Aero paint has been applied liberally over the "updated" front wing on Hamilton's McLaren

All the drivers have now been out on the circuit for an installation lap, just to make sure the radio and electronics are working on the cars.

Alonso is starting a timed lap but is taking it fairly easy. I suspect he is just gathering data on new parts at this time in the session.

Alonso returns to the pits and revs his engine hard as he comes down the pit lane. Remember, he has no new engines for the rest of the season, so might have to limit his running in these Friday sessions.

Lotus update: "Heikki's reporting that track condition is good - should be quite a busy session across the grid"

Vettel is back out on track, completing a lap on cruise mode like Alonso did.

Ferrari want to wait for track conditions to improve: "Both Felipe and Fernando have completed their installation laps. Everything is ok with the cars, now as usual it is a matter of waiting ..."

As more cars go out, more rubber will go down on the circuit and grip will increase.

Hamilton sets off for another lap with a practice start at the end of the pit lane.

Just like in Singapore practice, it sounds like McLaren is running continuous gas pressure through the exhausts under braking. By doing that, they continue to feed the blown diffuser and boost downforce. I believe that was the update that Button said the team had to abandon in Singapore after practice but would make a big difference here at Singapore.

Earlier this week McLaren MD Jonathan Neale told journalists that McLaren is throwing "everything and the kitchen sink" at updates for the end of this season.

Button is out on track, but despite the reports, his helmet looks identical to the one he has used all season.

As Button returns to the pits the track falls quiet. But not for long, as home hero Yamamoto heads out to start his programme.

Renault update: "Robert and Vitaly have jumped out of the car while engineers and mecanics commence work on evalution"

Sorry if you haven't been recieving updates at your end, it was down to a slight technical error at our end. And a bit of French as well to keep you on your toes.

Kobayashi is out on track, he is very popular this weekend and even has a whole stand named after him.

30 minutes into the session, and Hulkenberg is the fastest driver with a 1:35.789. Yamamoto and d'Ambrosio in the Virgin are the only other two drivers to set times so far.

Kobayashi goes 0.1 seconds faster than Hulkenberg with his last effort.

If you have any questions or comments during the session, feel free to get in touch by clicking at the link at the bottom of this window.

Kobayashi has improved to a 1:34.271 as the sun comes out over Suzuka.

Kobayashi is still struggling to find grip through the opening esses, he's having to back off a slightly through the apexes and isn't fully committed. Mind you he is out there on the hard tyre and the track will improve dramatically over the next hour.

Amir asks: "So who is driving second HRT klien or yamamoto? Your screen says Klien?"

It is Yamamoto and not Klien.

Kobayashi is our first spinner. He got very wide in the Degner corners and the car all crossed up and sideways. That is where Webber stuffed his Red Bull in the barriers last year ahead of qualifying.

Renault update: "Vitaly completes this first run, heads back to the garage, we'll be analysing the collected data."

Hamilton has gone off at Degner two and has smashed the front-left suspension. He stops under the cross over bridge and that is the end of his session.

The car bottomed out in Degner 1, ran wide on the exit and then understeered into teh gravel on the exit of Degner 2. Massive mistake and very costly for McLaren this weekend.

The session is still running - no red flag - but Button has returned to the pits just to check over his car and make sure there are no problems with the McLaren. But I suspect it was a driver error.

The car is now being lifted away.

Vettel is currently fastest with a 1:33.157 ahead of Hamilton's time before he crashed, a 1:33.643.

Force India update: "Tonio returns to the garage best lap so far 1:35.206 under yellows. He reports the track is very green and slippery at the moment"

Ferrari explains why Alonso is 20 seconds off the pace: "As there are still yellow flags, Fernando opted to anticipate a srive through the pitlane and a practice start"

The Ferrari driver has now set the 16th fastest time with a 1:35.219. We're still waiting for a decent time from him, early days yet.

There is a lot of understeer in Alonso's Ferrari at the moment, he needs to get that dialled out as the session progresses. It doesn't help that he is now stuck behind Yamamoto and a Virgin.

Vettel's time of 1:33.157 is still the best so far. Suzuka specialist and 2006 Japanese F3 champion Sutil is 0.482 seconds behind in second.

The track is still clearly causing a few problems, as Webber runs very wide through the hairpin. He is currently fifth fastest, 0.537 off his team-mate.

Vettel is now on another fast lap, with a best time so far through sector 1. He improves by 0.432 seconds with a 1:32.725. To give a reference, the lap record, set by Vettel last year, is a 1:30.341.

Webber goes second fastest. 0.412 off Vettel.

Sutil has already found a rhythm through the fast corners: "Adrian reports the high-speed balance is very good: 'I wouldn't change it'"

But he has a bit of a car problem: "Adrian in the garage for a short time as a minor hydraulic issue is fixed."

Kubica is using the F-duct all the way through 130R, meaning he is taking it one handed. It's a far cry from the late 1980s and early 1990s when that was a really tough corner.

Vettel improves again to a 1:32.585. Webber is just 0.048 off with his latest effort.

The Red Bulls are awesome through sector one. The only man who has got close to matching them is Hamilton but he then crashed out in sector two.

Kubica is looking quick, he's now 0.544 off the pace of Vettel.

Liuzzi isn't happy with the Force India yet: "Tonio comes back in from 16th. Got a few set up changes to make before next run so he can get comfortable"

Hamilton has returned to the paddock and came in through a back entrance to avoid the press and photographers.

Alguersuari runs wide at the hairpin but it's a fairly slow accident and he gets away with it. He locked the rear tyres and had to correct the car, which forced him wide.

Alonso heads back out with just 12 minutes remaining. He's currently 13th but Ferrari tends to disguise its pace on Friday and might be running with the engines turned down now that it is on the tipping point of its season quota.

As I type, Alonso cruises down the pit straight well off full revs. It looks as though he is still testing new parts on the Ferrari.

All the cars bar Barrichello, Heidfled and Rosberg are out on track.

Just Rosberg left in the pits now, but nobody is on an especially fast lap. It looks as though Rosberg won't play any further part in the session as the floor of the car is off and lots of work is going on at the back of the car.

Button slides off the track at Degner 2, but manages to keep it out of the barriers. It was similar to Hamilton's mistake, he ran wide through Degner 1and clattered over the kerb, took off and slid sideways into the gravel.

No obvious damage to the car but the floor would have taken a real hit over the kerbs.

The chequered flag is out and Vettel's time looks safe.

So Red Bull look quick but this was more of a test session than a straighforward practice. Either way, Hamilton's chances this weekend will have taken a massive hit with that crash, that meant he missed out on 45 minutes running.