The battle for pole position was only ever going to be between the Mercedes drivers, and this time it was Nico Rosberg who took top billing around the Suzuka track. Williams managed to lock out the second row with Valtteri Bottas pipping Felipe Massa by four tenths of a second.

Further back, the Red Bull team opted for a wet setup in preparation for the race tomorrow, which compromised their pace over one lap. They ran a risky game in the first session and just squeezed through, settling for rear top ten positions when qualifying came for a close.