Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Updates
Opening Notes
Philip is arriving soon to guide you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).
Live Feed
Warm-Up Lap Time
The formation lap has started.
Track Information
We have nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, the commentator informs us.
Countdown
The final countdown is underway.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to mess with the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is looking forward to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to the team team principal.
Starting Positions
Just 16 cars 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 make it out of Q1 again on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We take the experience for the next day," states Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the individual championship: McLaren have dominated the team championship but the team, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, as well. McLaren's Australian is going for a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, just over twenty minutes remaining till the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as an indication of what is to come, instead of highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points available to the winner. However, second place here was enough for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following his teammate's accident of the short race.
