Qatar's Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Coverage
Preamble
The author will be here shortly to cover this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Current Events
Formation Lap Time
The warm-up lap is underway.
Circuit Details
There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator informs us.
Countdown
The last moments is underway.
Driver Situation
One point in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to challenge Red Bull's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to the team lead role.
Starting Positions
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. The team have as a result made changes to his setup and so he will start from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We take the experience for the next day," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to seal second place this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Previous Results
Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, just over 20 minutes remaining until the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of future events, instead of significant in its own right, with just eight championship 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 after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
