Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates
Preamble
Philip is arriving soon to cover this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Time
The starting lap has started.
Circuit Details
There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, the commentator points out.
Countdown
The last moments has begun.
Racer Positions
One point in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to challenge the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is with Mercedes.
The analyst is looking forward to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to the team lead role.
Grid Details
There are only 16 cars on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 once more on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently adjusted to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be plenty of learning.
Team Standings
It's not all about the individual championship: The team have run away with the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Right, approximately twenty minutes to go until the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of what is to come, instead of highly important in its itself, with only eight points available to the victor. However, second place in this race was enough for the driver to become champion in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following his teammate's accident of the short race.
