Qatar's Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Updates
Introduction
The author is arriving soon to guide you through today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Time
The warm-up lap is underway.
Circuit Details
There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in Formula One, the commentator reminds us.
Final Moments
The final countdown is underway.
Driver Situation
One point in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to 2026, interviewing 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 the driver: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to advance of Q1 once more on the previous day. The team have consequently made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the learning for tomorrow," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be plenty of learning.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Previous Results
Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Right, just over 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, instead of significant in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the victor. However, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver claimed F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
