Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Updates
Preamble
Our correspondent is arriving soon to take you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Period
The formation lap has begun.
Track Information
We have nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, the commentator reminds us.
Countdown
The countdown is underway.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to mess with the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team team principal.
Starting Positions
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the main race, he did not manage to advance of Q1 again on the previous day. The team have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the learning for the next day," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, just over twenty minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as an indication of future events, rather than highly important in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. However, second place here was enough for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
