Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Grid Setting: Real-Time Coverage
Opening Notes
Our correspondent is arriving soon to guide you through today's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Starting Lap Time
The warm-up lap has started.
Circuit Details
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft informs us.
Countdown
The countdown is underway.
Racer Positions
One point in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. He is unlikely to challenge Red Bull's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to the team lead role.
Starting Positions
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he failed to advance of Q1 again on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We take the experience for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect plenty of learning.
Team Standings
It's not all about the individual championship: The team 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 this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, as well. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, approximately 20 minutes remaining until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as an indication of future events, rather than highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points available to the victor. Mind you, second place in this race was sufficient for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver claimed F1 world title after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
