Qatar Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Updates
Preamble
Philip will be here shortly to take you through today's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (18:00 GMT).
Current Events
Starting Lap Time
The warm-up lap is underway.
Circuit Details
There are 19 laps of the longest circuit in Formula 1, David Croft informs us.
Final Moments
The countdown is on.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to challenge the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky now: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
The analyst is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to Aston Martin team principal.
Starting Positions
Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for the driver: after coming 20th and last in the previous race, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the main race, he failed to make it out of Q1 once more on Friday. Ferrari have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he begins from the pit lane.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Colapinto are all starting from the same position.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the experience for tomorrow," states Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have run away with the constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, will be hoping to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Previous Results
Piastri won that day – as he managed last year, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a third consecutive win.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, approximately twenty minutes to go till the short race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as an indication of what is to come, rather than highly important in its itself, with just eight championship points available to the winner. However, second place here was enough for Verstappen to claim the title in a prior season.
Max Verstappen claimed F1 world title following Pérez crashes out of the short race.
