Qatar Short Race and Grand Prix Qualifying: Real-Time Updates
Introduction
Our correspondent will be here shortly to take you through today's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Warm-Up Lap Time
The starting lap has begun.
Circuit Details
We have 19 laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft informs us.
Countdown
The final countdown has begun.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his teammate Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. It's improbable to challenge the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is with Mercedes.
The analyst is looking forward to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to the team lead role.
Starting Positions
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: after coming 20th and last in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 again on Friday. Ferrari have as a result adjusted to his setup and so he begins from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the experience for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have dominated the constructors' gong but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to seal second place during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Previous Results
Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, just over twenty minutes to go until the sprint race begins. 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 awarded to the victor. Mind you, second place in this race was sufficient for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed the championship after Pérez crashes out of the short race.
