Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Qualifying: Live Coverage
Opening Notes
Philip is arriving soon to cover today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Starting Lap Time
The warm-up lap has started.
Track Information
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft reminds us.
Countdown
The last moments is underway.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to interfere with the team's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky's internal discussion currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to 2026, interviewing Adrian Newey about his stepping up to Aston Martin 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, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result adjusted to his car configuration and so he will start from the pit lane.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for tomorrow," states Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to seal second place this weekend. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Right, approximately twenty minutes to go till the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as an indication of what is to come, rather than significant in its itself, with only eight points available to the winner. Mind you, second place here was sufficient for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver claimed F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
