Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Coverage
Introduction
Our correspondent will be here shortly to cover this day's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Live Feed
Warm-Up Lap Time
The warm-up lap is underway.
Circuit Details
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator informs us.
Final Moments
The countdown is on.
Racer Positions
One point in Max Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky speaking with Sky now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey 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 main race, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 once more on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the learning for the next day," states Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the individual championship: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, 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 Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, just over 20 minutes to go until the short race begins. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of future events, instead of significant in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver wins F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
