Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Qualifying: Live Updates
Introduction
Our correspondent is about to begin to cover today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Live Feed
Formation Lap Period
The starting lap has begun.
Track Information
There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator reminds us.
Countdown
The last moments is on.
Racer Positions
One point in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky now: the analyst is with Mercedes.
The analyst is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to the team team principal.
Starting Positions
There are only 16 cars on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to advance of Q1 once more on Friday. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for tomorrow," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have run away with the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, as well. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Right, approximately 20 minutes to go till the short race begins. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the victor. However, second place here was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.
Max Verstappen wins F1 world title after his teammate's accident of the short race.
