Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates

Opening Notes

Philip will be here shortly to cover today's short race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).

Current Events

Formation Lap Time

The starting lap is underway.

Circuit Details

There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, the commentator points out.

Countdown

The last moments is on.

Driver Situation

An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to interfere with Red Bull's lead driver.

Interview Updates

Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.

Karun Chandhok is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team lead role.

Starting Positions

Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth position in the grand prix, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 once more on the previous day. The team have as a result adjusted to his setup and so he will start from the starting area.

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

Driver Comments

"We take the learning 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 constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.

Past Performance

Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.

Short Race Importance

Right, just over 20 minutes to go till the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points available to the victor. Mind you, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.

The driver claimed F1 world title after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.