Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Preamble
Philip is arriving soon to guide you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Time
The formation lap has started.
Circuit Details
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator points out.
Final Moments
The last moments has begun.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to interfere with Red Bull's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin team principal.
Grid Details
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the learning for the next day," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the individual championship: The team have dominated the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, as well. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Right, just over 20 minutes to go until the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as an indication of what is to come, rather than highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points awarded to the victor. However, second place in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion two years ago.
The driver claimed the championship after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
