Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Coverage
Preamble
Our correspondent is arriving soon to guide you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Formation Lap Period
The warm-up lap has begun.
Circuit Details
There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in Formula One, David Croft points out.
Final Moments
The last moments is underway.
Driver Situation
One point in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to interfere with the team's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky's internal discussion now: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his stepping up to the team team principal.
Grid Details
Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth position in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. The team have consequently adjusted to his car configuration and so he begins from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for tomorrow," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, approximately 20 minutes to go till the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, instead of highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the victor. However, second place in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago.
The driver wins F1 world title after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
