The author is arriving soon to guide you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
The starting lap has started.
We have nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator informs us.
The final countdown has begun.
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to challenge the team's main man.
Sky interviewing Sky now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to the team team principal.
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
"We take the experience for tomorrow," states Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect plenty of learning.
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, as well. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win.
Alright, just over 20 minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, instead of significant in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.
Max Verstappen wins F1 world title following his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
Elena Vance is a digital strategist with over a decade of experience in UK business consulting, specializing in technology-driven growth solutions.