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Opening Notes

Philip will be here shortly to cover this day's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).

Current Events

Formation Lap Period

The starting lap is underway.

Track Information

There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft points out.

Countdown

The final countdown is on.

Racer Positions

One point in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's main man.

Media Conversations

Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.

Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role.

Starting Positions

There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he did not manage to advance of Q1 again on the previous day. The team have as a result adjusted to his setup and so he will start from the pit lane.

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco 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. Expect plenty of learning.

Team Standings

It's not all about the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind the leader.

Past Performance

Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win.

Sprint Race Value

Right, just over 20 minutes remaining till the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, rather than significant in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the victor. However, the runner-up spot in this race was enough for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.

Max Verstappen claimed the championship following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.