Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Updates
Introduction
The author is arriving soon to guide you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Formation Lap Period
The starting lap has begun.
Circuit Details
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator reminds us.
Countdown
The last moments is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to mess with the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team lead role.
Grid Details
There are only 16 cars on the grid. It was another poor grid-setting session for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, 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 Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for tomorrow," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Piastri was victorious then – as he did the previous season, as well. The driver from McLaren is going for a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Right, just over 20 minutes to go until the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, instead of significant in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the winner. Mind you, second place in this race was enough for the driver to claim the title two years ago.
The driver claimed F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of the short race.
