Qatar's Sprint Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Live Updates

Opening Notes

Philip is arriving soon to cover this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).

Live Feed

Warm-Up Lap Period

The warm-up lap has begun.

Track Information

There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft points out.

Final Moments

The last moments has begun.

Driver Situation

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

Media Conversations

Sky's internal discussion currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.

Karun Chandhok is looking forward to the 2026 season, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team team principal.

Starting Positions

Just 16 cars on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to advance of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the pit lane.

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'll use the learning for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be plenty of learning.

Team Standings

The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have run away with the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming 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.

Previous Results

Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, as well. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.

Sprint Race Value

Right, approximately twenty minutes remaining till the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as an indication of what is to come, instead of highly important in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.

The driver wins F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of the short race.