Qatar Sprint Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Coverage
Opening Notes
The author is arriving soon to cover this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Live Feed
Warm-Up Lap Period
The warm-up lap has begun.
Track Information
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft points out.
Countdown
The last moments is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to interfere with the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky's internal discussion currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to the team team principal.
Grid Details
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth position in the main race, he did not manage to advance of Q1 again on Friday. Ferrari have consequently adjusted to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the experience 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 dominated the team championship but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead 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 Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Right, just over 20 minutes to go until the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of future events, instead of highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the winner. However, second place in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen wins the championship following his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
