Qatar Sprint Race and Grand Prix Qualifying: Real-Time Coverage
Preamble
Our correspondent will be here shortly to guide you through today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).
Real-Time Updates
Formation Lap Period
The warm-up lap has started.
Track Information
We have 19 laps around the lengthiest track in F1, David Croft points out.
Final Moments
The countdown is underway.
Racer Positions
One point in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to mess with the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role.
Starting Positions
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming 20th and last in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the starting area.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We take the experience for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have run away with the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, as well. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go till the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as an indication of what is to come, rather than highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. Mind you, second place in this race was sufficient for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
