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Opening Notes

The author is about to begin to take you through this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).

Real-Time Updates

Starting Lap Period

The formation lap has started.

Circuit Details

We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, David Croft points out.

Countdown

The last moments is underway.

Driver Situation

An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to mess with the team's lead driver.

Media Conversations

Sky speaking with Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.

The analyst is looking forward to 2026, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal.

Starting Positions

There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth position in the main race, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. The team have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.

Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.

Driver Comments

"We'll use the experience for tomorrow," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be a lot of that.

Team Standings

The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have dominated the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.

Past Performance

Piastri was victorious then – as he managed last year, as well. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick.

Sprint Race Value

Alright, just over 20 minutes to go till the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, instead of highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points available to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was enough for Verstappen to claim the title two years ago.

Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title after his teammate's accident of the short race.