Qatar's Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Opening Notes
Our correspondent is arriving soon to guide you through today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Real-Time Updates
Formation Lap Time
The warm-up lap has started.
Track Information
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft informs us.
Final Moments
The final countdown is on.
Racer Positions
One point in Max Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to mess with the team's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky's internal discussion now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin lead role.
Starting Positions
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the main race, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. The team have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the starting area.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for tomorrow," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have run away with the team championship but the team, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the victor. However, second place in this race was enough for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago.
The driver wins the championship after Pérez crashes out of the short race.
