Qatar Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Real-Time Updates
Introduction
Philip is arriving soon to take you through this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Live Feed
Formation Lap Time
The formation lap has started.
Track Information
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft informs us.
Final Moments
The countdown has begun.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by one place. He is unlikely to interfere with the team's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky interviewing Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to the team lead role.
Starting Positions
There are only 16 cars on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth position in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 again 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 Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We take the learning for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, will be hoping to seal second place during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, just over twenty minutes to go until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, instead of significant in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the victor. Mind you, the runner-up spot here was enough for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver wins F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of the short race.
