Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Coverage
Preamble
The author will be here shortly to guide you through today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Current Events
Starting Lap Period
The formation lap is underway.
Track Information
We have nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, David Croft reminds us.
Countdown
The final countdown has begun.
Racer Positions
One point in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. He is unlikely to challenge Red Bull's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky currently: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal.
Starting Positions
Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: after coming twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to advance of Q1 again on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result adjusted to his car configuration and so he begins from the starting area.
The team'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 experience for tomorrow," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to seal second place this weekend. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he did last year, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, just over 20 minutes to go till the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot here was sufficient for the driver to become champion in a prior season.
The driver claimed F1 world title after his teammate's accident of Qatar GP sprint race.
