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Opening Notes

Philip will be here shortly to take you through today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).

Real-Time Updates

Formation Lap Period

The warm-up lap is underway.

Track Information

We have nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator informs us.

Final Moments

The countdown is on.

Driver Situation

An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to challenge the team's main man.

Media Conversations

Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.

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

Grid Details

Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming 20th and last in the previous race, resulting in an eighth position in the main race, he failed to advance of Q1 again on the previous day. The team have consequently made changes to his setup and so he will start 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.

Driver Comments

"We'll use the learning for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.

Constructors' Championship

It's not all about the drivers' title: McLaren have run away with the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will start just behind the leader.

Previous Results

Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win.

Short Race Importance

Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as an indication of what is to come, rather than highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points awarded to the victor. Mind you, second place in this race 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.