Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Opening Notes
Our correspondent is about to begin to cover today's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Time
The warm-up lap is underway.
Circuit Details
There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula One, the commentator reminds us.
Final Moments
The last moments is on.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to 2026, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to the team lead role.
Grid Details
Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to advance of Q1 again on the previous day. The team have as a result adjusted to his car configuration and so he will start from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We take the experience for the next day," states Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the individual championship: The team have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, just over 20 minutes remaining till the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, rather than significant in its itself, with just eight championship points awarded to the victor. Mind you, second place in this race was enough for the driver to become champion in a prior season.
Max Verstappen wins the championship following Pérez crashes out of the short race.
