Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Coverage
Opening Notes
Philip will be here shortly to take you through today's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Time
The starting lap has started.
Circuit Details
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, David Croft reminds us.
Final Moments
The countdown is on.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to challenge Red Bull's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is looking forward to 2026, speaking with the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role.
Grid Details
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the main race, he failed to make it out of Q1 again on Friday. The team have consequently made changes to his setup and so he will start from the pit lane.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the learning for tomorrow," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have dominated the team championship but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he managed last year, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Right, approximately twenty minutes to go till the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, instead of significant in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the victor. However, second place in this race was enough for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver claimed the championship following his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
