Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Coverage
Preamble
Philip is arriving soon to guide you through this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Current Events
Starting Lap Time
The warm-up lap is underway.
Track Information
We have nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft points out.
Final Moments
The final countdown has begun.
Driver Situation
One point in Max Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to interfere with Red Bull's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky speaking with Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team team principal.
Grid Details
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he did not manage to advance of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We take the experience for tomorrow," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be plenty of learning.
Team Standings
It's not all about the individual championship: McLaren have dominated the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Previous Results
Piastri won that day – as he managed the previous season, as well. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, approximately twenty minutes remaining until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, instead of highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot here was enough for the driver to become champion two years ago.
Max Verstappen wins F1 world title after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
