Qatar Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Coverage
Introduction
Philip is about to begin to cover today's short race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Real-Time Updates
Warm-Up Lap Time
The starting lap has started.
Circuit Details
We have nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, David Croft points out.
Final Moments
The final countdown has begun.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team lead role.
Starting Positions
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We take the experience for tomorrow," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. There will be plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: The team have dominated the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Past Performance
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, approximately 20 minutes remaining till the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, rather than significant in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. Mind you, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver claimed the championship after Pérez crashes out of the short race.
