Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Real-Time Updates
Opening Notes
Our correspondent is about to begin to take you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Live Feed
Formation Lap Time
The formation lap has begun.
Circuit Details
We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, David Croft points out.
Final Moments
The last moments is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to interfere with the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky now: the analyst is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role.
Grid Details
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 again on Friday. The team have consequently adjusted to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for tomorrow," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have run away with the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Right, just over twenty minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as an indication of what is to come, instead of significant in its itself, with only eight points available to the victor. However, second place here was sufficient for the driver to claim the title two years ago.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
