Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Coverage
Opening Notes
Our correspondent is arriving soon to cover today's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Live Feed
Formation Lap Period
The starting lap has begun.
Circuit Details
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft points out.
Countdown
The last moments has begun.
Driver Situation
One point in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal.
Grid Details
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he did not manage to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. Ferrari have consequently adjusted to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have run away with the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, 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.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, as well. The driver from McLaren is attempting a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Alright, approximately 20 minutes to go till the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, instead of significant in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the victor. However, second place here was enough for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of the short race.
