Qatar Sprint Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Updates
Introduction
The author is arriving soon to guide you through today's short race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Live Feed
Formation Lap Time
The warm-up lap is underway.
Circuit Details
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, David Croft informs us.
Final Moments
The countdown is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. He is unlikely to mess with the team's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky currently: 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 sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to advance of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We take the experience for tomorrow," states Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren 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 start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, just over 20 minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, instead of highly important in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. Mind you, second place in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.
The driver wins F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of the short race.
