Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Introduction
Our correspondent will be here shortly to guide you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Formation Lap Period
The starting lap is underway.
Circuit Details
There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, the commentator reminds us.
Countdown
The countdown is on.
Driver Situation
One point in Max Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to challenge the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal.
Grid Details
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of 20th and last in the previous race, resulting in an eighth position in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 once more on Friday. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his setup and so he will start from the starting area.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the learning for the next day," states Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have run away with the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he managed last year, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, just over 20 minutes remaining until the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, instead of significant in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for the driver to become champion in a prior season.
The driver wins F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of the short race.
