Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Updates
Preamble
Philip will be here shortly to cover today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Live Feed
Warm-Up Lap Time
The warm-up lap is underway.
Track Information
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator informs us.
Final Moments
The countdown is underway.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to interfere with the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky speaking with Sky now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal.
Grid Details
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: after coming 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to advance of Q1 once more on the previous day. The team have as a result adjusted to his car configuration and so he will start from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the team championship but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he managed the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Right, just over twenty minutes to go till the sprint race begins. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, rather than significant in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. However, the runner-up spot here was enough for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago.
The driver wins F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
