Qatar's Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Updates
Preamble
Our correspondent will be here shortly to take you through today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Starting Lap Period
The warm-up lap has begun.
Track Information
We have nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator informs us.
Countdown
The countdown is on.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky speaking with Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to the team team principal.
Grid Details
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming 20th and last in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. The team have consequently adjusted to his setup and so he will start from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the learning for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place 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 the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Right, just over 20 minutes remaining till the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, instead of significant in its own right, with only eight points available to the victor. However, the runner-up spot in this race was enough for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver claimed F1 world title following his teammate's accident of the short race.
