Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates
Introduction
Our correspondent will be here shortly to guide you through today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Time
The starting lap has started.
Circuit Details
We have 19 laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator points out.
Countdown
The last moments is on.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky's internal discussion currently: the analyst is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to the team lead role.
Starting Positions
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth position in the grand prix, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 once more on Friday. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins 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'll use the experience for tomorrow," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be plenty of learning.
Team Standings
It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have run away with the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go till the short race begins. Barring disaster, its main importance is as an indication of future events, rather than 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.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
