Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Updates
Preamble
Our correspondent is about to begin to guide you through this day's short race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Live Feed
Starting Lap Time
The formation lap is underway.
Track Information
We have nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, the commentator reminds us.
Countdown
The last moments is underway.
Racer Positions
One point in Max Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to challenge the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky's internal discussion currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to the team lead role.
Starting Positions
There are only sixteen vehicles 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 make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. Ferrari have consequently adjusted to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for the next day," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the individual championship: The team have dominated the team championship but the team, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, just over 20 minutes to go till the sprint race begins. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the victor. However, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for the driver to claim the title two years ago.
Max Verstappen claimed the championship following his teammate's accident of the short race.
