Qatar Sprint Race and Grand Prix Qualifying: Real-Time Updates
Opening Notes
Our correspondent will be here shortly to take you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Live Feed
Formation Lap Time
The warm-up lap is underway.
Track Information
There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in F1, David Croft reminds us.
Final Moments
The final countdown is underway.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to mess with the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin team principal.
Grid Details
Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to advance of Q1 once more on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result adjusted to his car configuration and so he will start from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the experience for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have run away with the team championship but the team, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, just over twenty minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, rather than significant in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the victor. However, second place here was sufficient for the driver to become champion two years ago.
The driver claimed the championship after his teammate's accident of the short race.
