Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Real-Time Coverage
Opening Notes
Philip will be here shortly to take you through this day's short race (2pm GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Live Feed
Warm-Up Lap Period
The formation lap has started.
Circuit Details
We have nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator reminds us.
Countdown
The countdown is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Yuki Tsunoda is in front of him by one place. It's improbable to mess with the team's lead driver.
Media Conversations
Sky speaking with Sky now: Gary Neville is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is looking forward to 2026, interviewing the engineer about his stepping up to Aston Martin team principal.
Grid Details
Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for the driver: after coming twentieth and final in the previous race, resulting in an eighth position in the main race, he failed to advance of the first qualifying segment once more on Friday. The team have as a result made changes to his car configuration and so he will start from the pit lane.
The team's Lance Stroll and the Alpine pair of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We'll use the learning for the next day," says Hadjar, 11th on the grid. Expect a lot of that.
Team Standings
It's not all about the drivers' title: The team have run away with the team championship but Mercedes, with a forty-point advantage over Red Bull, are aiming to secure the runner-up position during this event. George Russell can assist in this goal from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after the leader.
Past Performance
Piastri won that day – as he did the previous season, as well. McLaren's Australian is going for a hat-trick.
Sprint Race Value
Right, approximately 20 minutes remaining until the sprint race begins. Unless something goes wrong, it's greatest value is as a preview of future events, rather than highly important in its itself, with only eight points available to the winner. However, the runner-up spot here was enough for Verstappen to become champion two years ago.
The driver wins the championship after Pérez crashes out of Qatar GP sprint race.
