Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Coverage
Preamble
Philip will be here shortly to take you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Real-Time Updates
Starting Lap Period
The warm-up lap is underway.
Track Information
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, David Croft points out.
Final Moments
The countdown has begun.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. He is unlikely to challenge the team's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is looking forward to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to the team team principal.
Grid Details
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for the driver: following his result of 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 car configuration and so he will start from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We take the experience for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the individual championship: The team have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Right, approximately twenty minutes remaining till the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, rather than 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 two years ago.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
