Qatar Sprint Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Coverage
Preamble
The author will be here shortly to take you through today's short race (14:00 GMT) and qualifying (6pm).
Current Events
Starting Lap Time
The warm-up lap is underway.
Circuit Details
There are nineteen laps of the longest circuit in F1, David Croft reminds us.
Countdown
The final countdown is on.
Driver Situation
An advantage in Max Verstappen's advantage: his fellow driver Tsunoda is ahead of him by a single position. He is unlikely to challenge the team's main man.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky currently: Gary Neville is with Mercedes.
Karun Chandhok is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to the team lead role.
Grid Details
There are only 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of 20th and last in the previous race, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of Q1 again on the previous day. The team have consequently adjusted to his setup and so he will start from the starting area.
The team's Lance 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 tomorrow," states Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be plenty of learning.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the drivers' title: McLaren have dominated the constructors' gong but the team, with a 40-point lead over their rivals, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Antonelli will start just behind Verstappen.
Previous Results
Piastri was victorious then – as he managed the previous season, too. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Alright, approximately twenty minutes remaining until the short race gets under way. Unless something goes wrong, its main importance is as an indication of what is to come, instead of highly important in its itself, with only eight points available to the victor. Mind you, second place here was sufficient for the driver to claim the title in a prior season.
The driver claimed the championship following Pérez crashes out of the short race.
