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

Opening Notes

Philip is about to begin to take you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).

Live Feed

Warm-Up Lap Time

The warm-up lap is underway.

Circuit Details

We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula One, the commentator points out.

Countdown

The final countdown is on.

Racer Positions

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

Media Conversations

Sky speaking with Sky now: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.

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

Starting Positions

There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for the driver: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to advance of Q1 again on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the starting area.

The team's Stroll and the Alpine pair of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.

Driver Comments

"We'll use the experience for the next day," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be plenty of learning.

Team Standings

It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have dominated the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.

Previous Results

Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.

Short Race Importance

Right, approximately twenty minutes remaining till the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, instead of significant in its own right, with only eight points available to the winner. However, second place here was enough for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.

The driver wins the championship following Pérez crashes out of the short race.