Qatar Sprint Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Coverage
Opening Notes
Our correspondent is about to begin to take you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Time
The formation lap has started.
Circuit Details
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator points out.
Countdown
The last moments is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to challenge the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team lead role.
Grid Details
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in the previous race, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 again on the previous day. The team have consequently made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the experience for tomorrow," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be plenty of learning.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have run away with the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Alright, just over 20 minutes remaining till the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of future events, instead of significant in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. However, second place here was enough for the driver to claim the title two years ago.
The driver claimed F1 world title after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
