Qatar Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Updates

Preamble

Philip is about to begin to take you through today's sprint race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).

Current Events

Warm-Up Lap Time

The starting lap has begun.

Circuit Details

There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in F1, the commentator informs us.

Countdown

The last moments is on.

Racer Positions

An advantage in Verstappen's advantage: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. It's improbable to challenge Red Bull's lead driver.

Media Conversations

Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.

Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to the team lead role.

Starting Positions

There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to advance of Q1 once more on the previous day. Ferrari have as a result adjusted to his car configuration and so he will start from the starting area.

Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.

Racer Statements

"We'll use the learning for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be plenty of learning.

Constructors' Championship

The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place during this event. George Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.

Previous Results

Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.

Sprint Race Value

Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go until the short race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of what is to come, instead of significant in its itself, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.