Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Real-Time Updates
Preamble
Philip is about to begin to guide you through today's short race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Real-Time Updates
Formation Lap Period
The warm-up lap has started.
Track Information
There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator points out.
Final Moments
The final countdown is on.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to challenge the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team team principal.
Grid Details
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming 20th and last in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth position in the main race, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. The team have consequently adjusted to his setup and so he will start from the pit lane.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for the next day," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the individual championship: The team have run away with the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately twenty minutes remaining until the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as an indication of what is to come, instead of highly important in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, second place here was sufficient for the driver to become champion in a prior season.
The driver wins the championship after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.