Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Introduction
Our correspondent is about to begin to guide you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Starting Lap Time
The warm-up lap has started.
Circuit Details
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator informs us.
Final Moments
The countdown is underway.
Driver Situation
One point in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky's internal discussion now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to the team lead role.
Grid Details
Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming 20th and last in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 again on Friday. The team have consequently made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the pit lane.
The team's Lance 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 Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect plenty of learning.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the constructors' gong but the team, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Right, just over twenty minutes remaining until the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of future events, instead of significant in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. Mind you, second place in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen wins F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of the short race.
