Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Opening Notes
Philip will be here shortly to cover this day's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Time
The warm-up lap is underway.
Track Information
There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in Formula One, the commentator reminds us.
Countdown
The countdown is on.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is with Mercedes.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team team principal.
Starting Positions
Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. The team have as a result adjusted to his car configuration 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 doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for the next day," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he managed the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately 20 minutes remaining till the short race begins. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the victor. However, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for the driver to become champion in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
