Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Updates
Preamble
Our correspondent will be here shortly to cover this day's sprint race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Starting Lap Time
The warm-up lap has begun.
Track Information
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, the commentator points out.
Final Moments
The countdown has begun.
Racer Positions
One point in Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver.
Interview Updates
Sky speaking with Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, speaking with Adrian Newey about his promotion to the team team principal.
Starting Positions
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. It was another bad qualifying for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, resulting in an eighth position in the grand prix, he did not manage to advance of the first qualifying segment once more on the previous day. The team have consequently adjusted to his car configuration and so he begins from the pit lane.
Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the learning for the next day," says Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the constructors' gong but the team, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position this weekend. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Kimi Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is going for a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Alright, just over 20 minutes remaining until the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as an indication of future events, rather than highly important in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the victor. However, second place here was enough for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver claimed the championship following Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
