Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Updates
Introduction
Philip will be here shortly to guide you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Starting Lap Period
The starting lap has begun.
Track Information
We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, David Croft points out.
Countdown
The final countdown is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to challenge the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin lead role.
Grid Details
Just 16 cars 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 failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. The team have consequently adjusted to his car configuration and so he will start from the pit lane.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for the next day," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the drivers' title: McLaren have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately 20 minutes to go until the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, rather than highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points awarded to the victor. Mind you, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed the championship following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
