Jenson Button's girlfriend Jessica Michibata signs autographs as she arrives at Suzuka on Sunday morning for a feast of race - qualifying and race in one day
The F1 drivers will be busy with so much packed into one day - and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, winner of the last two races, wastes no time as he runs back to the team's garage
And Michibata is clearly not the only fan the world champion has in Japan - a fan in the Suzuka fairgound shows her support for Button with the famous big wheel in the background
Button rewards his supporters with an impressive fifth on the grid despite gambling on starting the race on the harder tyre
Mark Webber has lagged some way behind Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel but he pulls out all the stops in qualifying to set a lap just 0.067secs slower than the German
But there is no denying Vettel, who sets his eighth pole of the season and will be hoping he can add to his two wins. Hamilton does superbly to qualify the McLaren third, but will start eighth following a penalty for changing his gearbox
Arguably the star of qualifying is Renault's Robert Kubica, who does an impressive fourth fastest time, backing up predictions from senior Renault personnel that they could have a strong showing in Japan
Kubica's performance means Alonso manages only fifth fastest time in the Ferrari - fourth on the grid after Hamilton's penalty - but says he is confident he can get on the podium from there
Predictably, BMW Sauber's Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi is the subject of intense media scrutiny at his home Grand Prix at he puts in a typically plucky showing to finish seventh
As ever, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton looks to be in a confident frame of mind ahead of the race as he does the obligatory pre-race lap to give an up-close and personal wave to the fans
Despite being one of the favourite venues amongst the drivers and fans, Suzuka officials have admitted the circuit is feeling the effect of the global economic downturn
Lights out, and less than five seconds into the Japanese Grand Prix Renault's Vitaly Petrov shunts out of the chasing pack in an action-packed start at Suzuka
Moments later, before they even get to Turn One, Felipe Massa appears to lose control of his Ferrari veers across Force India's Vitantonio Liuzzi and both drivers crash spectacularly out of the race
Free from the carnage behind them, Sebastian Vettel leads the Japanese Grand Prix from Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber - but third-placed Robert Kubica soons drops out after his Renault bizarrely loses a wheel
Jenson Button's McLaren shimmers as the Japanese sun hits the Suzuka asphalt but the defending champion's decision to start on the harder tyre does not pay off and he finishes fourth, just shy of the podium
Thrilling entertainment as Mercedes German team-mates Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg go wheel-to-wheel. But Schumacher finished in sixth while Rosberg retired on lap 50 when the rear of his car suffered a failure
McLaren's 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton looks set for fourth place, but the Englishman loses third gear with 10 laps remaining and has to settle for fifth as his championship hopes fade somewhat
And it's a cruise for Vettel (pictured here in the pits as the McLaren garage look on) as the German encounters no difficulties in winning a race he led with class from lights to flag, his third race win of the 2010 season
Vettel - billed by some as the heir apparent to seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher - is the toast of his Red Bull team as they celebrate his third race win of the season, and the constructors' championship lead
Second-placed in Suzuka but Mark Webber (centre) leads the drivers' championship from team-mate Sebastian Vettel. But Alonso, the only driver of the three to win the world title before, is lurking ominously behind them
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