Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Updates
Introduction
The author is arriving soon to guide you through this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).
Real-Time Updates
Formation Lap Period
The starting lap has begun.
Circuit Details
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft informs us.
Countdown
The last moments is on.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his stepping up to the team lead role.
Grid Details
Just 16 cars on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he did not manage to advance of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. Ferrari have consequently adjusted to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.
The team's Lance 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 Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be plenty of learning.
Team Standings
It's not all about the individual championship: The team have run away with the constructors' gong but the team, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, as well. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, just over twenty minutes to go till 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 awarded to the victor. Mind you, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
