Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Real-Time Updates
Opening Notes
Philip is arriving soon to take you through today's short race (2pm GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Real-Time Updates
Warm-Up Lap Time
The starting lap has started.
Track Information
We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in Formula 1, the commentator points out.
Countdown
The last moments is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. It's improbable to mess with Red Bull's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky currently: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to 2026, speaking with Adrian Newey about his stepping up to Aston Martin team principal.
Grid Details
Just sixteen vehicles on the grid. This followed another bad qualifying for the driver: after coming 20th and last in the previous race, resulting in an eighth position in the grand prix, he failed to make it out of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. Ferrari have consequently made changes to his setup and so he begins from the starting area.
The team's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Driver Comments
"We'll use the experience for the next day," says Hadjar, starting eleventh. Expect a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
It's not all about the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, with a forty-point advantage over their rivals, are aiming to seal second place during this event. Russell can help them achieve that from second place, and Antonelli will start just behind the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, too. McLaren's Australian is attempting a hat-trick.
Short Race Importance
Right, approximately twenty minutes to go until the sprint race gets under way. Barring disaster, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its own right, with only eight points awarded to the winner. However, the runner-up spot in this race was sufficient for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver wins F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
