Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Live Coverage

Preamble

The author is about to begin to take you through this day's short race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).

Real-Time Updates

Warm-Up Lap Time

The formation lap has begun.

Circuit Details

We have nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, the commentator reminds us.

Countdown

The last moments has begun.

Racer Positions

An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to challenge the team's lead driver.

Interview Updates

Sky speaking with Sky currently: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.

The analyst is looking forward to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin team principal.

Grid Details

Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in the previous race, resulting in an eighth position in the main race, he failed to advance of Q1 once more on the previous day. The team have as a result made changes to his setup and so he will start from the pit lane.

The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.

Driver Comments

"We'll use the experience for tomorrow," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.

Team Standings

It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.

Past Performance

Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win.

Sprint Race Value

Right, just over 20 minutes remaining till the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, instead of highly important in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot in this race was enough for Verstappen to become champion two years ago.

The driver wins the championship following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.