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

Opening Notes

Our correspondent is about to begin to guide you through this day's short race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).

Live Feed

Warm-Up Lap Time

The starting lap is underway.

Track Information

There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator reminds us.

Final Moments

The final countdown is underway.

Driver Situation

One point in Max Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to challenge Red Bull's main man.

Interview Updates

Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.

Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role.

Grid Details

There are only 16 cars on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth position in the grand prix, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 again on Friday. Ferrari have consequently adjusted to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area.

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.

Driver Comments

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

Team Standings

The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.

Previous Results

Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.

Sprint Race Value

Right, approximately twenty minutes to go till the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, rather than significant in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the victor. However, second place here was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.

Max Verstappen claimed the championship after Pérez crashes out of the short race.