Qatar Sprint Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Opening Notes
Our correspondent is about to begin to take you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Live Feed
Starting Lap Period
The formation lap has started.
Circuit Details
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, David Croft points out.
Countdown
The final countdown is on.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to challenge the team's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team lead role.
Starting Positions
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 again on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We take the experience for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
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 Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place this weekend. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he managed last year, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Right, approximately twenty minutes remaining till the short race begins. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, rather than highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. 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 his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
