Barrichello: Suzuka is still dangerous

Timo Glock was hospitalised with a cut to his left leg after crashing out of Q2, while Red Bull driver Mark Webber, and both Scuderia Toro Rosso drivers Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari, as well as McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen all crashed at the Degner Curves during the day.

And while the Japanese circuit has made several changes following its re-inclusion on the F1 calendar, including switching to a high-intensity asphalt run-off into Turn 1, Barrichello believes more must be done to make the circuit safer.

"It is a fantastic track," he told the BBC. "It is equal the best with Spa and Silverstone, but it is still very dangerous.

"They have to do something with Suzuka, because although the resurfacing is a lot better, we need to have more escape areas and things like this.

"We could see that with so many inexperienced drivers, like the Toro Rosso drivers, they went off and it's pretty dangerous out there still."

Barrichello eventually qualified fifth for the race, two places his Brawn team-mate and championship rival Jenson Button.

"I'm happy," the Brazilian said about his qualifying performance. "My Q1 and Q2 times show that I was slower than Jenson, so to beat him on the same fuel level for Q3 is an aim that I have reached. I know it's very little, because at the end of the day when you are fighting for pole position, but when you don't have the car to achieve it, that's where you have got to aim.

"In comparison to Button we have pretty much the same level of fuel so I'll be fine. But in comparison with some guys at the front I don't know. We didn't have a very competitive session."