Qatar Sprint Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Preamble
The author is arriving soon to cover today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Time
The starting lap is underway.
Track Information
We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, David Croft points out.
Final Moments
The countdown is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team lead role.
Grid Details
Just 16 cars on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in the previous race, resulting in an eighth position in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 once more on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the pit lane.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the experience for the next day," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have run away with the constructors' gong 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 the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he did last year, as well. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately 20 minutes remaining till the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of future events, instead of highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points available to the victor. Mind you, second place here was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago.
The driver claimed F1 world title after his teammate's accident of the short race.
