Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates

Opening Notes

Our correspondent is arriving soon to take you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).

Real-Time Updates

Warm-Up Lap Period

The formation lap is underway.

Circuit Details

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

Final Moments

The last moments is underway.

Racer Positions

An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver.

Interview Updates

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

Karun Chandhok is looking forward to 2026, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to the team lead role.

Grid Details

There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he did not manage to advance of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. The team have consequently adjusted to his car configuration and so he will start from the starting area.

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

Racer Statements

"We take the learning for tomorrow," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.

Team Standings

It's not all about the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader.

Previous Results

Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick.

Short Race Importance

Alright, just over twenty minutes to go until the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, second place here was sufficient for the driver to become champion two years ago.

Max Verstappen claimed the championship following his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.