Qatar's Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage
Opening Notes
Our correspondent will be here shortly to guide you through this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Live Feed
Formation Lap Time
The starting lap is underway.
Track Information
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, David Croft reminds us.
Final Moments
The final countdown is underway.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin lead role.
Grid Details
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in the previous race, resulting in an eighth position in the grand prix, he did not manage to advance of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his setup and so he will start from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect plenty of learning.
Team Standings
It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have run away with the team championship but the team, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, as well. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, approximately 20 minutes remaining until the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of future events, instead of significant in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the victor. Mind you, the runner-up spot here was enough for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen wins F1 world title after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
