Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Preamble
Our correspondent will be here shortly to cover this day's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Live Feed
Warm-Up Lap Time
The warm-up lap has begun.
Circuit Details
We have nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, David Croft points out.
Final Moments
The countdown has begun.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to the team team principal.
Starting Positions
Just 16 cars on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. The team have consequently made changes to his setup and so he will start from the pit lane.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We take the experience for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to secure the runner-up position during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately 20 minutes remaining until the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, instead of significant in its itself, with only eight points available to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for the driver to become champion in a prior season.
The driver claimed the championship after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
