Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Coverage
Introduction
The author will be here shortly to guide you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Current Events
Starting Lap Period
The warm-up lap is underway.
Track Information
There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator informs us.
Countdown
The last moments is on.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to challenge Red Bull's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky's internal discussion now: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin lead role.
Grid Details
Just 16 cars on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming 20th and last in the previous race, leading to an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of Q1 again on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area.
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 a lot of that.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have run away with the constructors' gong but the team, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, just over twenty minutes remaining till the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of future events, rather than significant in its itself, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to become champion two years ago.
The driver claimed F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
