Qatar Sprint Race and Grand Prix Qualifying: Live Updates
Preamble
Philip will be here shortly to cover this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Period
The formation lap is underway.
Circuit Details
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, David Croft reminds us.
Final Moments
The final countdown is on.
Racer Positions
One point in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to interfere with the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky's internal discussion now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to the team team principal.
Grid Details
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session 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 advance of Q1 again on Friday. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We take the experience for tomorrow," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, as well. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, just over 20 minutes remaining till the sprint race begins. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, rather than significant in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the victor. Mind you, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for the driver to become champion in a prior season.
The driver claimed F1 world title after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
