Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage
Opening Notes
Our correspondent will be here shortly to take you through today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Live Feed
Formation Lap Period
The warm-up lap is underway.
Circuit Details
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator points out.
Final Moments
The last moments is underway.
Racer Positions
One point in Max Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to interfere with the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal.
Starting Positions
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the pit lane.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the learning for tomorrow," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to seal second place during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he managed last year, as well. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Right, just over 20 minutes to go till the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the winner. However, second place here was sufficient for the driver to claim the title two years ago.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following his teammate's accident of the short race.
