Qatar's Short Race and Main Event Qualifying: Live Updates
Opening Notes
The author is about to begin to guide you through this day's short race (14:00 GMT) and grid-setting session (6pm).
Current Events
Starting Lap Time
The warm-up lap is underway.
Circuit Details
There are nineteen laps around the lengthiest track in F1, the commentator reminds us.
Final Moments
The last moments is underway.
Racer Positions
An advantage in Max Verstappen's favour: his fellow driver Tsunoda is in front of him by a single position. He is unlikely to interfere with Red Bull's main man.
Interview Updates
Sky speaking with Sky currently: the analyst is at the Mercedes team.
The analyst is jumping ahead to the 2026 season, interviewing the engineer about his promotion to Aston Martin lead role.
Starting Positions
Just 16 cars on the grid. This followed another poor grid-setting session for Lewis Hamilton: following his result of twentieth and final in Las Vegas, leading to an eighth-place finish in the main race, he did not manage to make it out of the first qualifying segment again on the previous day. The team have as a result made changes to his setup and so he will start from the starting area.
Aston Martin's Stroll and the Alpine duo of Gasly and Colapinto are all doing likewise.
Racer Statements
"We take the learning for the next day," states Isack Hadjar, 11th on the grid. There will be a lot of that.
Constructors' Championship
The focus isn't solely on the individual championship: McLaren have run away with the team championship but the team, with a 40-point lead over Red Bull, are aiming to secure the runner-up position this weekend. Russell can help them achieve that from the front row, and Kimi Antonelli will begin immediately after Verstappen.
Previous Results
Oscar Piastri was victorious then – as he did last year, too. The driver from McLaren is attempting a third consecutive win.
Short Race Importance
Right, approximately 20 minutes remaining till the sprint race begins. Barring disaster, its main importance is as a preview of what is to come, rather than significant in its itself, with only eight points available to the victor. However, the runner-up spot in this race was enough for Verstappen to become champion in a prior season.
The driver claimed F1 world title after Pérez crashes out of the short race.
