Qatar Short Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Preamble
Philip is about to begin to cover today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Real-Time Updates
Formation Lap Period
The warm-up lap has started.
Track Information
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft points out.
Countdown
The countdown is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team team principal.
Starting Positions
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth position in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 again on Friday. Ferrari have consequently adjusted to his setup and so he will start from the starting area.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the experience for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect plenty of learning.
Team Standings
It's not all about the individual championship: The team have run away with the team championship but the team, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, are aiming to seal second place during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, just over 20 minutes to go until the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as an indication of what is to come, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points available to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot here was enough for the driver to claim the title two years ago.
The driver claimed F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of the short race.
