Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Updates
Introduction
Philip is about to begin to take you through today's short race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Current Events
Formation Lap Period
The warm-up lap is underway.
Circuit Details
We have nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, David Croft reminds us.
Final Moments
The final countdown is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky now: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal.
Starting Positions
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for the driver: following his result of twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. The team have as a result made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for tomorrow," states Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have run away with the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go till the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as a preview of future events, instead of significant in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, second place in this race was enough for the driver to become champion in a prior season.
Max Verstappen wins the championship following his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
