Qatar Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Updates
Preamble
Our correspondent will be here shortly to cover today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).
Live Feed
Warm-Up Lap Period
The warm-up lap is underway.
Circuit Details
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, David Croft informs us.
Countdown
The countdown is on.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky's internal discussion now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to the team team principal.
Grid Details
There are only 16 cars on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming 20th and last in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he did not manage to advance of Q1 once more on Friday. The team have as a result adjusted to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the experience for tomorrow," states Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately twenty minutes remaining till the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, instead of highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed the championship following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.