Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates
Introduction
Philip is about to begin to take you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Time
The warm-up lap has started.
Track Information
We have 19 laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator informs us.
Countdown
The last moments is underway.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to challenge the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky's internal discussion currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is looking forward to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role.
Starting Positions
There are only 16 cars 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 position in the main race, he failed to make it out of Q1 once more 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 Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the experience for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, 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 second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he managed last year, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, approximately twenty minutes remaining till the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the victor. However, second place in this race was sufficient for the driver to claim the title two years ago.
The driver claimed the championship following his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
