Qatar Short Race and Grand Prix Grid Setting: Real-Time Updates
Preamble
Philip is about to begin to take you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Live Feed
Formation Lap Time
The formation lap has started.
Circuit Details
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator points out.
Final Moments
The final countdown is on.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to mess with Red Bull's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team lead role.
Starting Positions
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of twentieth and final in the previous race, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. Ferrari have as a result adjusted to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area.
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 learning for the next day," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: The team have dominated the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately twenty minutes to go until the sprint race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of future events, instead of highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points available to the victor. Mind you, second place here was enough for Verstappen to become champion two years ago.
Max Verstappen claimed the championship after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
