Qatar's Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage
Opening Notes
The author is arriving soon to cover this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Formation Lap Time
The warm-up lap is underway.
Track Information
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator reminds us.
Countdown
The last moments is on.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to mess with the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky's internal discussion currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin lead role.
Starting Positions
Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming 20th and last in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of Q1 again on Friday. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he will start from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the learning for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the individual championship: The team have dominated the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place this weekend. Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately twenty minutes remaining till the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, instead of highly important in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. Mind you, second place in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago.
Max Verstappen wins the championship after his teammate's accident of the short race.
