Qatar's Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Updates
Preamble
Philip is about to begin to take you through this day's short race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Real-Time Updates
Warm-Up Lap Time
The starting lap has begun.
Circuit Details
There are 19 laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, the commentator reminds us.
Countdown
The last moments is on.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky's internal discussion now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team team principal.
Starting Positions
Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: following his result of twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth position in the main race, he failed to make it out of Q1 again on Friday. The team have as a result adjusted to his car configuration and so he begins from the pit lane.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We take the experience for the next day," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have dominated the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, approximately 20 minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points available to the winner. However, second place in this race was enough for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title after his teammate's accident of the short race.
