The first Sprint race of the 2026 season took place on March 14 at 11:00 am local time. In Sprint Qualifying held the previous day, Fernando Alonso of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team (AMAF1) qualified 19th, while Lance Stroll qualified 20th. However, due to a pit-lane start for a car ahead, Alonso started from 18th on the grid and Stroll from 19th.
