Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage
Preamble
Our correspondent will be here shortly to take you through today's short race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Real-Time Updates
Formation Lap Period
The warm-up lap is underway.
Track Information
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft points out.
Final Moments
The final countdown is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role.
Starting Positions
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for the driver: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. The team have as a result made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the individual championship: The team have dominated the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he managed the previous season, as well. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately twenty minutes to go till the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, instead of significant in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the victor. Mind you, second place here was enough for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago.
The driver wins the championship after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
