Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage

Preamble

Philip will be here shortly to guide you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).

Live Feed

Starting Lap Time

The warm-up lap has started.

Track Information

We have 19 laps around the lengthiest track in Formula One, the commentator points out.

Countdown

The countdown is on.

Racer Positions

An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to challenge Red Bull's lead driver.

Interview Updates

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

Karun Chandhok is looking forward to 2026, speaking with the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role.

Grid Details

Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the main race, he did not manage to advance of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.

Driver Comments

"We take the experience for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.

Constructors' Championship

It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have dominated the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.

Past Performance

Piastri was victorious then – as he managed last year, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win.

Sprint Race Value

Right, just over twenty minutes remaining until the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the victor. However, the runner-up spot here was enough for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.

The driver claimed the championship after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.