Qatar's Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage
Opening Notes
Philip is arriving soon to take you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Real-Time Updates
Starting Lap Period
The warm-up lap has begun.
Circuit Details
There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, David Croft reminds us.
Final Moments
The last moments is on.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky's internal discussion currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to the team team principal.
Grid Details
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in the previous race, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. The team have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the experience for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately 20 minutes remaining until the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points available to the winner. Mind you, second place here was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.
The driver claimed the championship after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
