Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Updates
Introduction
The author will be here shortly to guide you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Starting Lap Time
The formation lap has started.
Track Information
There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in F1, David Croft points out.
Countdown
The last moments has begun.
Driver Situation
One point in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to challenge Red Bull's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his stepping up to the team lead role.
Starting Positions
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. The team have consequently made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We take the experience for the next day," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have dominated the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Right, just over twenty minutes to go until the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as an indication of future events, rather than highly important in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for the driver to become champion in a prior season.
Max Verstappen wins F1 world title following his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
