Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Qualifying: Live Updates
Opening Notes
Our correspondent will be here shortly to guide you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Live Feed
Formation Lap Time
The formation lap has begun.
Track Information
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator reminds us.
Countdown
The last moments is on.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to challenge the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team lead role.
Grid Details
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth position in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 once more on Friday. The team have consequently made changes to his setup 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.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for tomorrow," states Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have dominated the team championship but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately twenty minutes remaining until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, instead of highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago.
The driver claimed F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of the short race.
