News in Picture

We make a most welcome of returns to the Honda-owned Suzuka track for the Japanese Grand Prix after two years of the race being held at the Toyota-owned Fuji circuit.

It is a most welcome of returns because Suzuka is such a fabulous circuit.

It is 3.6 miles long and was first used in 1987. It is designed in a unique figure of eight configuration, where the cars literally cross over where the other cars are going.

It also contains the fabulous 130R corner, which is tremendously spectacular and is where Fernando Alonso took everybody's breath away in his Renault by passing Michael Schumacher's Ferrari back in 2005. That was something we simply did not think was possible.

There have been some great, great races at Suzuka in the past, notably in 1989 when McLaren's bitter rivals at the time, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, collided with each other and the world championship was decided eventually in Prost's favour.

Incredibly the next year the very same two collided again at the first corner, but this time it was Senna who took the drivers' title.

Frankly I've just given up trying to forecast who is going to win any individual race this season.

Is it going to be Lewis Hamilton? Is it going to be Jenson Button? Is it going to be Rubens Barrichello? Or is it going to be Mark Webber or Sebastian Vettel?

I simply don't know, we will just have to wait and see. It's going to be very exciting.

Enjoy your weekend,

Murray

Japanese Grand Prix: Third practice (0255-0405, BBC Red Button/online & BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra/online); Qualifying (0500-0730, BBC One/BBC Red Button/online/Radio 5 Live); Qualifying re-run (1300-1415, BBC One/online).

Japanese Grand Prix: Race (0500-0810 BBC One/BBC Red Button/online/Radio 5 Live); Interactive forum: 0810-0910, BBC Red Button/online); Race re-run (1400-1615/online, BBC One); Highlights (1900-1945, BBC Three/online).

Football Focus (1215, BBC One/online); Championship commentaries (1245, BBC Radio 5 live/online; 1500, Radio 5 live sports extra/online); Premier League commentaries (1500 & 1730 BBC Radio 5 live/online); Final Score (1430, BBC Red Button/online; 1630, BBC One/online); Match of the Day (2230, BBC One/online); The Football League Show (2330, BBC One/online).

Match of the Day repeat (0810, BBC One/online); Premier League commentaries (1430 & 1600, BBC Radio 5 live/online; 1500 BBC Radio 5 live sports extra/online); Match of the Day 2 (2200, BBC Two/online).

Grand Prix: 1300-2300, BBC Red Button/online; 1415-1630, BBC Two/online; 0050-0340, BBC Two

Grand Prix: 1230-2300, BBC Red Button/online; 1550-1730, BBC Two/online; 0040-0330, BBC Two.

MotoGP: Estoril qualifying (1200-1500, BBC Red Button/online); Horse racing: Longchamp (1430-1630, BBC Red Button/online).

MotoGP: Estoril - 250cc race live (0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online); Rugby League: Super League Show (1130-1220, BBC Two North/online and 0330-0420, BBC Two); MotoGP: Estoril race live (1230-1400, BBC Two/online); Horse racing: Longchamp - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (1240-1400, BBC Red Button/online and 1400-1550, BBC Two/online); MotoGP: Estoril - MotoGP Extra (1400-1430, BBC Red Button/online); MotoGP: Estoril - 125cc race live (1430-1530, BBC Red Button/online); Super League play-offs highlights (1730-1835, BBC Two/online); American Football: Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos (2100-0030, BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra).