Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Updates
Opening Notes
The author is about to begin to cover today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Starting Lap Time
The starting lap has started.
Track Information
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator points out.
Final Moments
The last moments has begun.
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 main man.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is looking forward to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role.
Grid Details
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for the driver: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth position in the grand prix, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 again on Friday. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his setup and so he will start from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the learning for tomorrow," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
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, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he managed last year, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately twenty minutes to go till the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, rather than significant in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was enough for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver claimed F1 world title after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
