Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Real-Time Updates
Introduction
Our correspondent is arriving soon to guide you through this day's sprint race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Live Feed
Starting Lap Period
The starting lap has started.
Track Information
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator reminds us.
Final Moments
The last moments has begun.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his teammate Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to challenge the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky's internal discussion currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to 2026, speaking with the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin team principal.
Grid Details
There are only sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for the driver: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on Friday. The team 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 pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the learning for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the individual championship: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to seal second place this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately 20 minutes remaining till the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, instead of highly important in its own right, with just eight championship points awarded to the winner. However, second place in this race was enough for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed the championship following Pérez crashes out of the short race.
