Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates
Preamble
Our correspondent will be here shortly to guide you through today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Live Feed
Warm-Up Lap Time
The warm-up lap has begun.
Track Information
There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, the commentator points out.
Countdown
The final countdown has begun.
Racer Positions
One point in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to interfere with the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team team principal.
Starting Positions
Just 16 cars on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 once more on Friday. The team have as a result adjusted to his car configuration and so he will start from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the learning for the next day," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the individual championship: The team have run away with the team championship but the team, 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
Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Right, just over 20 minutes remaining until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, instead of highly important in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. However, the runner-up spot here was enough for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following his teammate's accident of the short race.
