Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates
Opening Notes
The author will be here shortly to take you through this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).
Live Feed
Formation Lap Time
The warm-up lap has begun.
Circuit Details
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, David Croft informs us.
Final Moments
The last moments is on.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal.
Starting Positions
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the grand prix, he did not manage to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result adjusted to his car configuration and so he begins from the pit lane.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We take the experience for tomorrow," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have dominated the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, just over 20 minutes to go until the short race begins. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, instead of significant in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the victor. Mind you, the runner-up spot in this race was enough for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver wins F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
